Jordan Galland's "Ava's Possessions" stood out in the Fantasia International Film Festival schedule to me for being a movie about the aftermath of a possession. She then rips the necklace off. A young woman recovers from a demonic possession. More at But in making amends with the people she wronged, she uncovers a plot deeper than mere possession. Evicting a demon from its host is just the beginning. Louisa Krause stars in the titular lead role Ava, a woman who's in the process of recovery after being afflicted by demonic possession. This is a perfect horror movie for a chill night. The Hollywood Reporter is a part of Penske Media Corporation. It happened . She then discovers that while she did kill Ben's father, he was only in the apartment because he was a hitman that Roger had hired to murder her, as Ava had seen Roger with the prostitute and then joined the two of them for a sexual encounter. Watch it with us: Netflix streaming Horror comedies and demon possession movies are both having a moment, but Ava's Possessions is the first film I've heard of that combines these genres.Director Jordan Galland's 2015 indie is an amusing genre mashup, but it also uses possession and exorcism as metaphors for mental illness and addiction, presenting horror not as a one-time event but as . With a great use of a musical track for a horror movie, this if it can be called a sedate but refined version of Pulp Fiction (1994) and The Devil's Carnival (2012) presents the occult in a fresh and humanistic way. Basically a demon possesses this woman at certain times and manages to save her life, a time or two. They were really creative in showing possible life changes that occur after a possession. If they made a second one I'd watch it. Ava's Possessions 2015 R 1 h 29 m IMDb RATING 5.6 /10 3.3K YOUR RATING Rate Play trailer 1:56 2 Videos 15 Photos Comedy Horror Mystery A young woman recovers from a demonic possession. She may even end up in jail for her crimes. The ending is atrocious. Ava's family chooses to commit her but Ava manages to gain a lead on Ben's father via a prostitute. The movie after all the Possession movies What Happens After Your Demon Has Been Exorcised? User Ratings But is it enough to give viewers something different? The story is not only a different take, but is also . Ever wonder what happens to someone post-exorcism? Gotham Knights Horror Icon Doug Bradley Playing Iconic DC Villain in The CW Series! Overview; Details; While struggling to recover from the trauma of demonic possession, Ava Dopkins attempts to resume a normal life. Going back to that previously-mentioned stereotype within the film, Ava surprisingly doesnt receive much sympathy from her family, despite them knowing fully that she was possessed. But Avas recovery efforts get bogged down by Hazel (Annabelle Dexter-Jones), a fellow Spirit Possessions Anonymous attendee whos developed an obsession with her former possessor and enlists Avas help to invite him back. Theres an SPA handbook thats a bit reminiscent of the Handbook for the Recently Deceased in Beetlejuice, members are instructed to not use the D word and they also all have very different relationships with their uninvited spiritual guest. Whereas Ava is eager to get rid of her rather malicious evil entity, another group member named Hazel (Annabelle Dexter-Jones) has basically fallen in love with hers. Debuting on HBO Max on Thursday, the French and Hebrew language thriller opens at the wedding of French expat Natalie (Nadia Tereszkiewicz) and handsome Israeli nonentity Eran (Valley of Tears Imri Biton dont get too attached). Just go watch and tell me what it made you feel. Please correct me if Im wrong once youve seen the whole show! After an exorcism frees her soul, a young woman (Louisa Krause) attends Spirit Possession Anonymous and meets a fellow victim (Whitney Able) who wants her demon back. Isabela Merced(Rosaline) has also joined the cast, we learned earlier this week, and The Hollywood Reporter brings us more casting news. A semicomic mystery imagining what happens after the credits roll on a demonic-possession fright flick, Jordan Galland 's Ava's Possessions realizes the obvious it ain't easy to reenter. Ava's Possessions. It's not the typical horror slapstick, it plays more like a sitcom of sorts, in the truest sense. I don't care what the critics say. Ridley Scott, who of course directed the original classic in 1979 and later returned for prequelsPrometheusandAlien: Covenant, will produce the movie via his Scott Free banner. Gallands film plays more like a cable-ready mystery than a cult film in the making, offering just enough chuckles to stay afloat. "[Review] 'Ava's Possessions' Takes Post-Demonic Possession In a Fresh Direction - Bloody Disgusting! Ava's life was hijacked by a demon, now it's time to get it back. He takes these very familiar big screen scenarios, puts his own smart spin on them and then he winds up with these especially appealing and thoughtful concepts that are a blast to consider well beyond the feature. The film had its world premiere at the Dead by Dawn Horror Film Festival on April 26, 2015. After breaking into Hollywood with a number of prestige dramatic roles, Ava is the latest example of Chastain continuing her push into action blockbusters in recent years. But that's all i am going to tell you. Like open a new tab and stream this movie, watch it, then tell everyone you know. 2023 The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. How Marvel went big with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. This is the one. Click herefor all of our SXSW2015 coverage orbrowse the links belowto check outmy other reviews: Perri Nemiroff has been part of the Collider team since 2012. So what do we have here? Writer/Artist/Gamer from the Great White North. Ava is able to control the demon and use its abilities to capture Roger. She soon begins to sense that the demon is near and accidentally causes some boxes to fall, revealing some old files on former possessed people. Disneys Haunted Mansion Teaser Trailer Welcomes You Back to an Iconic House of Horrors! I'm generally skeptical of anything Hollywood calls "multicultural." It's usually a cover phrase for "objectively without value except for raising your social . Though sometimes clever, it doesnt offer anything like the deep-geek inventiveness of, say, Simon Pegg and Edgar Wrights movies. | She hosts and produces the interview series, Collider Ladies Night, a show geared towards highlighting the need-to-know female voices in film and television. Now demonic possession is a sub genre where almost everything has been done, some perfected it, some tried there level best and. some.. well we'll talk about the devil inside (2012) some other time. The story itself isnt without subjective flaws, mind you. 2016 R 1h 29m DVD Rent this movie. The concept, observing the aftermath of the protagonist's dance with a demon, lends itself to something clever and fun at the film's start, but the wit quickly dissolves into flavorless doldrums. Just search below. Overall, its a sexy and funny horror mystery, cool enough to be worth the time. She discovers that her mother had also previously been possessed by the same demon, hinting that their bloodline is predisposed to possessions. Jessica Chastain stars in a new action-thriller revolving around an assassin, and here's how Ava ends and sets up a sequel. And as expected, just like in the mafia, you dont walk away scot-free. The problem is it tries to be so many things at once than its mostly none of them. Practically the entire cast gets whats needed to make this film work. You sorta acted like a mega bitch when you were possessed, one friend tells her. This is where Wass Stevens steps in as Tony, the head of Spirit Possessions Anonymous. Just when you think filmmakers had all but exhausted the demonic possession subgenre, giving us all that could possibly be wrung from it, along comes writer/director Jordan Galland and Avas Possessions. THR adds, Plot details are being kept in a cryochamber, but as opposed to the other movies which focused on adults in corporate, militaristic and scientific roles, this now-ninth installment of the franchise will focus on a group of young people.. Cooky. With her biological father falling miserably short in his parental duties, Duke filled that void for her. Alien television series from Noah Hawley. Its experimental story might not gel with those who are more accustomed to the possession subgenre, especially with the fact that the film doesnt venture into outright horror. Natalie's mother, Rosa (Dominique Valadi), opposes the union and almost walks out. If nothing else, this film is quite unlike anything you've ever seen before. Aside from that, the movie does a great job of juxtaposing regular daily scenes with night scenes that are bathed in neon aesthetics. The back-story is a mismatch of flash-backs and hints from the family that don't accelerate the plot much. Unwisely, Ava agrees to assist her friends flirtation with the underworld, going to buy spells from an occultist (Carol Kane, delicious in her forces-you-dont-understand warnings). Evil Dead and Dont BreathedirectorFede Alvarezwill both write and direct a brand newAlienmovie forRidley Scottand 20th Century Studios, withCailee Spaeny(The Craft: Legacy,Pacific Rim Uprising) set to lead the cast. Ex Machina's Original Ending They walk down the aisle to a chuppah wreathed in fog machine exhaust and pyrotechnics. Ava is a deaf person, and she is the surrogate mother of Jenny and Max's child. It did not succeed in my opinion. However, this scene is clearly established to be taking place at night. Basically OK - if it was a series for teenagers, Life following demonic possession is anything but easy, could've been better if they focused on the main plot more. Visually weak as most of the setups are "people in a room talking". Your guide to every single Israeli TV show and movie you can stream right now, Tunisia Boosts Security for Lag BOmer on Djerba. I thought the idea was so unique, and I personally don't know of any other movies that show what happens to a person after the spirit they are possessed by is exorcised. Possessions.Available now on HBO Max. Posters are sourced from TMDb and Posteritati, and appear for you and visitors to your profile and content, depending on settings. and they got a cameo from the god carol kane!!! Spirit Possessions Anonymous, where the d-word is a big no-no. there is an excellent twist that I was totally not expecting! A French family has been left heartbroken after their 19-month-old daughter died during their Miami . He can be reached at [emailprotected] and @pjgrisar on Twitter. Fun performances and unique ideas carry it. There's quite the idea here, comically displays the aftereffect of the unfortunate event, but it becomes too busy with overload of subplots, colors and eventually too plodding for its own good. She reveals that she is behind temporary power outages that turn off Nathan's surveillance system, and that while they. and 'It was negative space, like a donut hole.'. Pam Grier reflects on her most iconic roles, from. Funny and original demon possession film. It took the bold choice of not really showing much of the exorcism at all, you catch a glimpse right at the very beginning, starting things off where most films of this genre normally ends, but from. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. The prostitute is murdered before she can tell Ava anything. Salems Lot: William Sadler Joins Adaptation of Stephen King Novel! As Ava struggles to reconnect with her friends, get her job back, and figure out where the huge blood stain in her apartment came from, she is plagued by nightmarish visions - the demon is trying to come back. | Fede Alvarezs Alien Movie Fills Out Cast With Four More Fresh Faces, Eli Roths Thanksgiving Cast Adds Milo Manheim, Scream Why Wes Cravens Classic Is Still the Perfect Scary Movie for Horror Newcomers, Nosferatu Aaron Taylor-Johnson Joins the Cast of Robert Eggers Remake, Hellboy: The Crooked Man Adeline Rudolph and Jefferson White Join the Reboot, Poltergeist Amazon Reportedly Looking to Revive the Franchise, Agent Elvis Trailer Elvis Gets Bloody in Netflixs Adult Animated Series on March 17th, From Season 2 Teaser Trailer Critically Acclaimed Series Returns to MGM+ in April. It was sexy to have a rule-breaking bad boy take control, she says; shes sure if she got him back she could keep him from being quite so homicidal. The 12 steps for possessed people is genius. At the start of the film I was like WTF is going on is this a comedy. Theres still a serious tone to the film, but the variety of tones that make up the story definitely keeps things interesting. Director Jordan Galland Writer Jordan Galland Stars Louisa Krause Whitney Able Deborah Rush See production, box office & company info Watch on Prime Video Here, possession is commonplace enough the judicial system has a way of handling it: Either you can stand trial for all the crimes your body committed while you werent in control, or you can enroll in Spirit Possession Anonymous. All caveats aside, Tereszkiewiczs magnetic performance as Natalie, the stunning shots of the Negevs sun-blanched dunes and the regular hiss of something sinister afoot along with a sleekly menacing score by French music collective HiTnRuN propel a mystery that resists easy answers and straightforward clues. When her family confirms this story, Ava's first question is whether anyone called in sick for her at her job. Project: Nightlight Has Delayed March 3 Release, New Beta Early Access Gameplay Trailer Gives Diablo IV Fans a Taste of Hell [Video]. Not completely.. This is one of the most original movies i have seen recently. As I sat there, I was a little surprised were the story was taken, it wasn't your typical run of the mill possession movie. No word yet on Alvarezs pitch for his own take on the material, but we expect more real soon. Is it passed genetically though too?? Well, as grounded as things would get in this films universe. Ava Dobkins (Louisa Krause) has had a difficult month.For the last 28 days was possessed by the demon Naphula, who did some very bad things while it was in control. There have been sequels to exorcism movies of course and they show a sort of aftermath, but this is an "original", without any background as to what happened before. Film data from TMDb. With no memory of the past month, she is forced to attend a Spirit Possessions Anonymous support group. Just another solid pickup for a dollar. [Exclusive]. Its not the expected smooth landing after the pleasant 89 minute flight. It becomes so much more relatable, and that makes the comedy work. You must credit the Forward, retain our pixel and preserve our canonical link in Google search. Ava struggles to make amends with those she hurt while possessed and get her life back together only to have the demon return to possess her once again. It sets a world where this kind of things seem normal and that feels nice, like getting something annoying out of the way. Demonic possessions are a well-trod trope in horror movies, but most of them end with the exorcism. . A semicomic mystery imagining what happens after the credits roll on a demonic-possession fright flick, Jordan Gallands Avas Possessions realizes the obvious it aint easy to reenter polite society after spending weeks unleashing hell and then makes things worse. Its a garishly happy affair, already marked with a portent of doom. The Netflix series, created by Simon Barry and (loosely) based on the Warrior Nun Areala comics by Ben Dunn, stars Alba Baptista as Ava, a 19 year-old who wakes up in the morgue after having an angelic halo planted in her back. The halo cures Ava's paralysis and gives her superpowers, but also burdens her with the mantle of the Warrior Nun.