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Ben (Jonathan Stoddard) and Norma (Daniela Palavecino) are in deep
shock when they learn their son Alex (Lucas Sequeira) suffers from a brain
tumor and has at best months to live. But then their well-meaning
neighbour June (Eileen Dietz) tells them about a surgeon (Robert LaSardo)
in Mexico who performs some alternative medicine or something, and since
they have nothing to lose, Ben drives his son to Mexico - to find out that
this "alternative medicine" actually resembles a Satanic ritual
more than anything else - and Alex doesn't survive the ritual. However,
when Ben arrives home with the boy's body, he's suddenly alive again and
better than in a long time. But from here on weird things start to happen,
like Ben's dementia-struck mother (Judith Smiley) starting to talk again
after years of silence, but being dead afraid of Alex, Alex starts to kill
birds, hiding their carcasses everywhere in his room, and there are
frequent apparitions of Alex's real dad (Ron Sequeira), who has died years
ago (technically Ben is only Alex's uncle who has married his mother
though after after his dad's death). Then Ben's mum dies, and it might be
suicide but the police suspects murder. But things really get out of
control when Alex kills neighbour June's dog and wears his fur as a unholy
costume. Eventually, Ben and Norma turn to the local priest (Vernon Wells)
for an exorcism - but will that really help, and isn't it much too late? A
nice piece of slowburn horror that does a great job keeping one guessing
throughout, feeding the audience only parts of the story until the very
end and that doesn't go out of its way to explain everything away, instead
lets the atmosphere speak for itself. But despite its reliance on a feel
of unease, the film has its carefully placed shock scenes throughout, and
an ending that's bound to surprise one and creep one out. And a strong
ensemble cast makes sure the film comes to life and stays grounded just
fine for some cool genre entertainment.
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