The Summoning

Sure some parts of the story could have been stronger, but I enjoyed it over all. Learned a bit of history too. Reminded me of The Skeleton Key which starred Kate Hudson. Similar eerie type of film. Interesting that both take place in the South too. Could be that I skew towards classic horror films, but I did sense a bit of 70's style. Good job.

Just because you have an expensive camera doesn't mean your a director! Terrible, terrible , terrible directing. There is no horror or suspense just a dry eye monotone drama. This director has no business directing any movie of any kind! please kindly go back to the cubicle of wall street.

Given the premise is a supernatural film based on a true story, I wasn't sure what to expect, but was pleasantly surprised. The filmmaker appears to have a very grounded take on the subject. While the movie could have easily been filled with cheap thrills, instead the director focuses on telling the the little known dark secrets of a small town. The cast in general did a great job, Eric Roberts delivers as usual. Other stands outs include Elbert Hill Jr. as an informed and wise caretaker. Pacing wise the story could ave moved a little faster. Overall it was a worthwhile purchase and I look forward to seeing more from this director.

Plot of this movie is all over the place. The main objective was to get justice for the slaves who were killed and had housing built over them, but instead turned into a search for a missing white girl who was investigating the slaves. The characters have 0 depth or development to them. The detective is dry and unlikable with a backstory that doesn't contribute at all to the film. And the ending...well the ending is incomplete. They wanted it to be a suspenseful ending but it just ends up annoying you because it doesn't make any sense. Oh and let's not forget people never turn lights on in this movie. There's a scene where two people are studying and not a single light is on, and it's night time. What a waste of time and a good premise.

Okay, some might complain but first of all... it's an independent movie. Now let's talk about genre. It's listed as a Horror on some platforms, but when I came to the IMDb page, I noticed that it's listed as Drama/Thriller -- which makes a lot more sense. It's definitely a drama with a mystery feel and a handful of scary moments. The acting is good and the overall story is pretty intriguing...apparently based on real history of that area. With the recent hurricane that exposed money-hungry land developer schemes, this movie feels right on point. And it's not often to find Houston in films these days...cool backdrop and that sugar factory they filmed in was creepy.