‘Traumatika’ Review: Disturbing New Possession Horror Will Make Your Stomach Churn
When a movie starts with a statement about the five kinds of childhood abuse, you know it’s going to be quite the experience. And that’s just how Pierre Tsigaridis chooses to start his sophomore feature, Traumatika. Now let this be your warning: a lot of bad things happen to kids here. After shocking audiences with Two Witches, Tsigaridis is back with a very different perspective on trauma, one that acts as a sledgehammer to the face, a confrontation about the nature of not only experiencing trauma, but about the specific kinds of trauma inflicted through possession horror that you wouldn’t ever expect.
Similar to Two Witches, Traumatika is split into two parts. The first part is the story of Abigail (Rebekah Kennedy), a young woman who, after suffering horrendous sexual abuse by her father, is possessed by a violent demon. This demon demands blood, specifically children’s blood, and Abigail must oblige. She becomes the boogeyman, kidnapping and sacrificing children to satisfy the creature inside her. Tsigaridis tells her story by starting with her death, when her crimes are discovered, and then flashes back to how this all started. What starts like a piece of exploitative true crime becomes a harrowing tale of possession via sexual abuse. And that’s only the beginning of Abigail’s hell.
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Then, we flash forward to the present where Abigail’s younger sister Alice (Emily Goss) has written about her sister’s crimes in an attempt to get her justice. However, after a rather contentious talk show appearance, she begins to realize that perhaps she’s exploiting her sister’s death and abuse. Meanwhile, her very public appearances have drawn the attention of a killer with a grudge. Here, Traumatika becomes a nasty little slasher as this meditation of trauma goes in yet another wild direction, but still filled with blood and bodies.
While Traumatika is all about the shock, it’s also about Tsigaridis showing off his ability to weave different subgenres together to create his own unique tapestry of terror. From possession horror to slashers, there’s an inherent love for the genre here, steeped in every disturbing frame. But perhaps the most impressive moments are those that draw from the found footage world, whether it’s news reports or the true crime special that Alice watches with a glass of wine. These in-world creations are well-constructed and add to both the film’s technical construction and its world-building. This is why Traumatika is a film I can confidently say isn’t just doing it for the shock value. There’s too much attention to detail and care put into its construction for this to exist as merely a piece of exploitation.
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Which some could initially think. Abigail is tortured mind, body, and soul, taken advantage of by man and demon alike, her body never her own. Before anything bad happens to her, she’s presented as an awkward girl with a cleft palate, meaning she has a facial difference (and there’s a whole other conversation to be had about using facial difference as a marker of monstrosity). Tsigaridis presents her as an Other before we see her endure any trauma, which only hints at a history of trauma we’ll never know about. And when she does try to take back any ounce of autonomy, she’s beaten back and never allowed any sense of power.
But, that’s part of Tsigaridis’ point. This is a much more direct and confronting look at the possession movie, one that quite literally personifies the act of being possessed as an act of rape. This possession is violent, repulsive, destructive, and without a happy ending. That doesn’t make it any easier to watch, per se, but the violence at least has a purpose beyond titillating and shocking viewers.
Kennedy’s storyline is the strongest and most terrifying, an agonizing depiction not only of possession, but of the multitudes of effects of abuse, especially at the hand of a parent. It may make even the strongest squirm in their seats as Kennedy contorts, shakes, screams, and growls through a living hell, inflicted upon her by her own blood.
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The second part poses fascinating questions, especially regarding true crime, but loses the horrific steam of what unfolded previously. There isn’t nearly enough characterization of Alice, especially as she herself has lived through trauma as a child. More complex character development is eschewed for slasher violence, which will appeal to some, absolutely. But the tone change is a bit jarring after the intensity of the first act, and while it ultimately wraps up this harrowing story with a disgusting bow, a deeper dive into Alice herself would strengthen the story’s emotional impact.
Tsigaridis also serves as the film’s cinematographer and he captures every disgusting act of violence beautifully. Between Two Witches and Traumatika, the filmmaker proves his ability to create an impeccable vibe, one that’s both alluring and wholly cursed, giving his films the feeling of nightmares you may not want to end.
Ultimately, Traumatika is a poignant exploration of the horrors of possession from a very different lens as Tsigaridis blends subgenres in fascinating and disgusting ways. It’s violent, angry, and unafraid to confront societal taboos to tell its tale about living with and through trauma. It often toes the line of what is exploitative with purpose or exploitative for shock value, which may turn off some viewers. But Tsigaridis once again proves his ability to craft vibey, disgusting, and daring stories guaranteed to leave a lasting impression on the viewer.
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Traumatika (2024)
Summary
With ‘Traumatika’, Pierre Tsigaridis once again proves his ability to craft vibey, disgusting, and daring stories guaranteed to leave a lasting impression on the viewer.
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