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The Incantation
USA 2018
produced by Dan Campbell, Gary B. Sullivan (executive), Julie A. Sullivan (executive) for Blue Falcon Productions, House of Rose
directed by Jude S. Walko
starring Sam Valentine, Dean Cain, Dylan Kellogg, Jude S. Walko, Beatrice Orro, Caroline Gatouillat, Astrid Briat, Violette Dubreuil, Sophie 'Sweet Shop' Malki, Alexis Gueroult, Martine Francois, Amiot Bernard, Jean-Pierre Fouet, Jerome Marchand, Thibault Carves, Allan Vincent Swan, Margie Clarke
written by Jude S. Walko, music by Daniel Lepervanche, Cavin 21 Note House Music
review by Mike Haberfelner
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So Lucy's (Sam Valentine) French uncle died ... but that doesn't hit
her too hard since she has never met the guy, and his death actually means
that she gets to travel to France for his funeral and to stay at his
castle that now falls to her family while there. Things though get almost
immediately weird when she gets there, as the Vicar (Jude S. Walko) who
looks after the castle for Lucy's deceased uncle sure is spooky, the
chambermaid (Beatrice Orro) is nothing short of weird, and then there's
also this odd insurance salesman (Dean Cain) who for some undisclosed
reason sticks around. The Vicar introduces her to a set of house rules,
too, but Lucy decides to break them all, since basically it's her castle
more than his - and eventually she finds a book on witchcraft which holds
an odd fascination for her. Things take a turn for the eerie when Jean
Pierre (Dylan Kellogg), a neighbourhood guy about her age whom she soon
falls for, tells her about her dark family history, and she keeps seeing a
girl (Caroline Gatouillat) just out of her reach who she never manages to
catch up with. Things get yet weirder when she one day loses her way in
the woods, is drugged, threatened, passes out ... and wakes up in her bed
in the castle. Soon enough, Lucy has to realize she's part of something
bigger, and something evil at that, and that the Vicar, the chambermaid
and the insurance salesman are all part of it, but she has no idea how to
evade them - or what they have in mind even ... The
Incantation is a very effective horror movie that manages to stay
fresh and in the now while telling what's basically a gothic tale in the
proper "gothic" locations - and that's thanks to a clever
screenplay that keeps one guessing till the end, a directorial effort that
takes a cue from genre flicks of old but doesn't try to imitate, and also
a strong cast with a very relatable lead. And add to that the beautiful
and impressive locations to add both atmosphere and authenticity, and
you're up for pretty cool genre entertainment.
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