Possession Experiment, The (DVD)
Starring Bill Moseley, Rachel Faulkner, Dallas Taylor
Directed by Scott Hansen
The Possession Experiment begins with an origin story set in the mid-90s when a young woman’s soul is seized by Satan. As Father Mark Campbell (Bill Moseley) struggles to save her, the wicked force within goes ballistic and flies full-on into pulling out all the classic stops: lewd language, telekinetic tantrums, and of course the over-popular spewing vomit while levitating several inches in the air above her bed. Things do not end well.
Cut to present time. Brandon Jenson (Chris Minor) is a horror movie loving college student who decides to do his World Theology project on proving whether or not demonic possession is real. With the help of his pothead classmate Clay (Jake Brinn) and videographer Leda (Nicky Jasper), Brandon launces a fund-me campaign. It instantly goes viral and the money starts pouring in. This allows the trio to get access to the files of the famous exorcism from the 90s, which in turn leads them to explore its dark roots. Armed with the info he needs, Brandon tracks down the evilest of evil entities and invites him in. The Devil accepts.
The Possession Experiment offers up an enticing mix of traditional cinematic imagery, modern screens (phones, laptops), and CCTV footage to tell its story. Using these different visuals ensures pleasing the kiddies while not entirely alienating older viewers who prefer Steadicam to Skype. If you like it, you have Scott B. Hansen to thank for the cinematography. And the directing, writing and editing too! He even has a cameo in the film. Talk about a DIY’er. In such an incredibly clichéd subgenre, Hansen manages to make an accomplished and reasonably engaging feature.
The actors are up to par. Bill Moseley only has a small part, but he starts the picture off with a good and Godly bang. Minor in the lead shoulders the majority of the screen-time with B-actor aplomb from nerdy college guy to vicious vessel of Beelzebub himself. Jasper is solid, while Brinn is a bit uneven but likeable overall as the bumbling, good-natured toker of Mother Nature’s garden greens.
There are a few clunkers in the story. For instance, in flashback it’s revealed that a Ouija board was to blame for the young woman’s possession in the 90s and we see a scene of Father Campbell wrapping it up in a blanket and stashing it between the walls of her house. Of course, Brandon and co. find it and hold a séance. Um… Really?
When it comes to the scares they are not lacking, but there isn’t much tension or suspense leading up to them. It’s hard to spook anyone these days but the basic horror elements in the script and its execution can’t really be faulted. The story is cowritten with Hansen by Mary J. Dixon and together the pair cooked up a relatively fast-paced flick but The Possession Experiment does unfortunately begin to wear out its welcome just a little too soon.
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Film
Categorized:News
