As someone whos seen quite a few possession movies recently, Avas Possessions is wildly refreshing. All Rights Reserved. The family has sued Airbnb, the property owner, the rental manager, and the former tenants. Ava's Possessions is a 2015 American supernatural comedy horror film written and directed by Jordan Galland. that explores the consequences of the events of a demonic possession in a grounded way. Nadia Tereszkiewicz as Natalie in HBO Maxs Possessions. Courtesy of HBO Max. Facing multiple criminal offenses, Ava opts to go into "Spirit Possession Anonymous" where she meets Hazel who liked being possessed and wants to embrace her demon. Louisa Krause stars as the titular Ava, a young woman that must learn how to put her life together after a demon is exorcised from her body. Ava's possession opens with a exorcism sequence (which is as original as it can be) which lasted for 28days but soon ava discovers that she has caused serious emotional and physical damage, resulting in her losing her job, friends, and boyfriend, as well as potential jail time. Not only does it put a completely new spin on the concept, but its also a downright brilliant idea that could sustain far more than 89 minutes of screen time. Freaking excellent! not wacky enough to do justice to a tantalizingly-wacky concept. Add in a plot about Avas strained relationship with her family, and its a lot of threads for Galland to juggle, which is why the ending feels a bit rushed and unsatisfying. The relationship between the parents and the surrogate is very loving and there is a sense of understanding between them. Well, as grounded as things would get in this films universe. Just go watch and tell me what it made you feel. Just another solid pickup for a dollar. Its more comedy than horror, but it mixes enough to make it a decent watch. And therein lies another major theme of Possessions: possessiveness. "[2] Bloody Disgusting shared a similar opinion and noted that while the film was flawed, it had good acting and was "still a unique film that deserves a watch to see that not every possession film has to be told the same way. Feeling like a fuck up, being the black sheep, or feeling like you aren't part of the loop anymore. Ava's life was hijacked by a demon, now it's time to get it back. Perri's a proud graduate of Columbia University's Film MFA program and member of the Critics Choice Association. Ava's life was hijacked by a demon, now it's time to get it back. They've got to attend Spirit Possessions Anonymous. The movie after all the Possession movies What Happens After Your Demon Has Been Exorcised? Vibrant, red blood splotches run down her mouth as she . and that music, with all its funhouse-mirror doo-wop and moody rockabilly-ish twang, was ready for action. Furious, Ava begins screaming and the office door swings open, showing the shadow of Ava's demon. She discovers that her mother had also previously been possessed by the same demon, hinting that their bloodline is predisposed to possessions. Definitely worth a watch, any way you can find it. Throughout "Possession," we view Anna through Mark's eyes, always tinted in blue, her visage becoming more eldritch and terrifying with time. Watch Ava's Possessions Theatrical Trailer, The movie playing at around 55 minutes is. PJ Grisar is a Forward culture reporter. Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. Privacy Policy. Minus that flimsy ending, Gallands got every element of this film right on point. I also dug the choice of colours used in the film. The phones screen shows the time as 1:10 PM. Ava is recovering from demonic possession. Louisa Krause Whitney Able Deborah Rush Lou Taylor Pucci William Sadler Zachary Booth Wass Stevens Annabelle Dexter-Jones Carol Kane John Ventimiglia Geneva Carr Dan Fogler Jemima Kirke Stella Schnabel Joel de la Fuente Tarik Lowe, Traction Media Off Hollywood Pictures Ravenous Films, 89mins They were really creative in showing possible life changes that occur after a possession. The priest exorcised it out of her and now she goes to SPA. After escaping from her confinement, she kills Nathan, dons human skin and clothes, and leaves a begging and screaming Caleb behind in the locked compound. 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. At the start of the film I was like WTF is going on is this a comedy. Disneys Haunted Mansion Teaser Trailer Welcomes You Back to an Iconic House of Horrors! This is one of the most original movies i have seen recently. 2023 The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. Bernard: I mean, it's a gateway drug, okay? There is a good story as well, one that has layers of mystery that get peeled back every so often. "[3] The New York Times was more critical, writing that "Though at times pleasingly quirky, the story is too slackly written and insipidly photographed to entertain."[4]. Posters are sourced from TMDb and Posteritati, and appear for you and visitors to your profile and content, depending on settings. Instead of focusing on her possession, this movie asks the question, what is life like AFTER your demon has been exorcised? By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Louisa Krause stars as the titular Ava, a young woman that must learn how to put her life together after a demon is exorcised from her body. Accused Episode 2 Recap. Practically the entire cast gets whats needed to make this film work. 2016 R 1h 29m DVD Rent this movie. David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Spike Fearn and Aileen Wu have signed on, THR reports. With no memory of the past month, she must attend a Spirit Possessions . It could be because I was high while viewing, but I feel the story leaves the viewer with more questions than answers. They walk down the aisle to a chuppah wreathed in fog machine exhaust and pyrotechnics. If you love (deader than) deadpan stuff that is. Flaws and all, Ava's Possessions is still something genre fans tired of the usual possession story willing to try something new will enjoy. For me if they just stuck more to the world that a demon possession could offer would have been much much better. The golden rule of spirit possession anonymous is never ever use that word. I could have spent hours exploring SPA, the cases Tony is dealing with and how having been possessed changes a persons everyday life, but eventually, the film shifts its focus to a mystery of sorts and thats where Avas Possessions loses a little momentum. This is the one. And a slut, another (played by Girls Jemima Kirke) adds. IMDb Sounds as fresh as it is with humor that isn't trying to be funny, but definitely is. It has a charming sense of humor and a wonderful visual eye, creating a sort of technicolor 60's sitcom palette at times. Ava's Possession doesn't rely on jumpscares, or even really anything to scare you other than the odd bit of strange makeup. With her biological father falling miserably short in his parental duties, Duke filled that void for her. The Hollywood Reporter is a part of Penske Media Corporation. She gets some leads and finds some clues and eventually comes full circle. While Ava is struggling to clean up her apartment and mend fences with old friends (you sorta acted like a megabitch when you were possessed, one observes) she attends AA-like sessions led by the hard-nosed Tony (Wass Stevens). Relatively well acted with a unique spin on the possession genre. Shortly after coming to, she asks her family if anyone bothered to call out sick from work for her. The ritual also leaves a tattoo on her neck, which Tony discovers. I watched this movie on Netflix. Perri splits her time between Los Angeles and New York, but wherever the film and television coverage takes her, she goes! 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. After that first flush of interest, though, its draw is largely obligatory. Having no memory of the past month, she agrees to sign on with a support group for people like herself in hopes of undoing the damage done in her life (as well as having the charges against her dropped). Want to relax and get a horror fix but also have a few laughs? I guess this is actually a serious attempt at a horror movie. Ooops. 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. About 20 minutes in I had to check that I wasn't watching a series pilot. See our full guidelines for more information, and this guide for detail about canonical URLs. 2016 R 1h 29m DVD Rent this movie. Salems Lot: William Sadler Joins Adaptation of Stephen King Novel! Im not a fan of this digital filming stuff, it looks horrible. In spite of some great stuff in the story and performances, Avas Possessions does have some slips. Aside from that, the movie does a great job of juxtaposing regular daily scenes with night scenes that are bathed in neon aesthetics. It works well at the beginning, but the more Ava learns and the deeper she get into this mystery, the more convoluted things become. Father Merrino (John Ventimiglia) extracts the demon and Ava takes controls of her body again, but she cant recall a single thing that happened since the start of her possession - and a lot of things happened. Jordan Gallands sharp satire Avas Possessions, on the other hand, follows the titular heroine through her demonic recuperation process, resulting in an irreverent, ingenious look at what it means to recover. More at But though shes eager to protect herself from her uninvited spirit guest, another member of the group wants hers back. The story afterwards, fleshed out more and the comedy was gone. It adds a kind of absurdity to the film that isnt necessarily played up for laughs, but still evokes a certain amount of humour that adds another dimension to the film. With no memory of the past month, she must attend a Spirit Possessions Anonymous support group to figure out what happened. It sets a world where this kind of things seem normal and that feels nice, like getting something annoying out of the way. March 30, 2022. . A Bedouin kitchen worker hangs a white dress from a tree after witnessing the bloodbath at the reception. Just search below. Her mother was tormented by the same demon at one point, why wouldn't she just explain to her daughter in the first place?! Instead of the classic horror movie reactions to things like possessions and demons, we get a more muted and organic comical touch. Isabela Merced(Rosaline) has also joined the cast, we learned earlier this week, and The Hollywood Reporter brings us more casting news. Late in the show, writers Shahar Magen and Valrie Zenatti introduce the cause of Natalies man troubles. Obviously, the highlight of a possession film that tells the tale of the aftermath of a possession is going to be the story. Ava's Possessions (126) 5.6 1 h 28 min 2016 X-Ray R. A young woman recovers from a demonic possession. The rest of the series, directed with a brooding flair by Thomas Vincent (the hand behind the UK hit Bodyguard), is devoted to discovering who actually killed Eran. And as expected, just like in the mafia, you dont walk away scot-free. Film: Ava's Possessions (2015) So what do we have here? Letterboxd is an independent service created by a small team, and we rely mostly on the support of our members to maintain our site and apps. 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. Ava definitely comes across as someone who wants to get her life back on track, and at the same time trying to make amends for what happened. Ava is recovering from demonic possession. Entertainment Weekly may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. It becomes so much more relatable, and that makes the comedy work. It does this by a subversion that presents problems of its own. However, this scene is clearly established to be taking place at night. Learn more. So the point is it's a risky sub genre, but comes this dark comedy AVA'S POSSESSION this was interesting and hilarious. Mobilesite. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Ava's life was hijacked by a demon, now it's time to get it back. His death sends Ava on a self-destructive path, and she starts drinking again after years of sobriety. 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. Normally, a possession movie ends with the victim baths in sunlight or in some cases wanders into the dark. Ava's family is of little help, as Ava gets the impression they are hiding something. The story has some ok twists, but I was hoping they'd be a little better to really pull it all together. 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. With no memory of the past month, she is forced to attend a Spirit Possessions Anonymous support group. B-. Alter Egos was a solid second feature, but its pretty evident that Galland is taking a major step forward with this one. Tired of possession and exorcism movies? The colors used to make day and night feel different are just a superb touch and adds to the story being a genuine fun ride. Avas Possessions picks up post-exorcism, as Brooklynite Ava (Martha Marcy May Marlene star Louisa Krause) wakes up with no memory of her 28-day possession. A supernatural comedy that kicks off after the exorcism. When the lead character attended a meeting of 'Spirit Possessions Anonymous' I thought this may be similar to 'Scary Movie', 'Naked Gun' and other satirical comedies, but no such luck. Louisa Krause stars in the titular lead role Ava, a woman who's in the process of recovery after being afflicted by demonic possession. I mean "entity." That's shown with her name on the records in the office and a flashback to her telling Ava that she knows exactly what being possessed was like. External Reviews A little heavy on plot and the horror lacks a bit of a bite, but the demons are quite cute and it's creative and colorful enough to keep the attention. 2 May 2016. Please use Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Edge to view this site. There are subplots (such as Avas romance with Lou Taylor Puccis character) that feel underdeveloped and are subsequently left by the wayside in order to focus on the main story. Sign up for our newsletter HERE. . Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. I do recommend for anyone wanting to watch a mildly horror movie but I felt it was more drama then anything else. If nothing else, this film is quite unlike anything you've ever seen before. Demonic possessions are a well-trod trope in horror movies, but most of them end with the exorcism. If you don't know, "Tonight, We Stay Indoors" is essentially about what happens after a slasher movie. 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. The Day of the Triffids Amazon Studios Miniseries in the Works, Wreck Review Infectious Horror-Comedy Series from Hulu Isnt Quite What You Think, Children of the Corn Review Eleventh Entry Pleads a Strong Case to Let the Franchise Die, We Have a Ghost Review Gateway Horror Adventure Uses Ghostly Charms to Capture Family Bonds, Cocaine Bear Review A Raucously Entertaining and Gory Horror-Comedy, The Strays Review Netflixs Social Thriller Feels Like an Incomplete Experience, Six-String Samurai The Glorious Madness of a Dadpocalypse Epic You Maybe Havent Seen, Beyond Godzilla: Six OTHER Kaiju Movies You Need to Watch, Resident Evil 4 PREVIEW Impressions from Our Hands-Off Sneak Peek at the Upcoming Remake, 5 Deep Cut Horror Movies to Seek Out in March 2023.