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Plot

Six years ago, Li Ronan was cursed after breaking a religious taboo. Now, she must protect her daughter from the consequences of her actions.

Cast

Directed by Kevin Ko who also directed my favourite Taiwanese movie A Choo (2020).

Verdict

From the stylish thought provoking opening scene the film had my attention, after countless poor movies lately this was very exciting.

Part traditional, part found footage style Incantation is a fascinating supernatural tale set across our leading ladies past and present, watching them collide and a very intriguing story.

Suitably creepy and thoroughly putting Hollywood to shame who simply cannot do horror anymore I was positively gripped. Granted the plot does make it up as it goes along and a couple of questions went unanswered, but most were, the ending delivers and this has now become my second favorite Taiwanese movie.

Very much worth your time.

Rants

Once again within the bowels of the IMDB reviews I see a standard type, the "I didn't finish the movie" type. Sorry but if you didn't watch the movie you have absolutely no right to an opinion and the site shouldn't allow such reviews. You're admitting you haven't seen it, watch until the credits roll then talk until then shush!

The Good

Very creepy Wonderfully constructed Oddly stylish Gripping

The Bad

A few questions go unanswered Some found footage moments actually make no logistical sense Casting could have done a better job.

Some of my friends know me for being that guy who does not get scared at horror movies. So because of that some of them came up to me saying how this was "the scariest movie that they've ever seen" and "oh this one is definitely gonna scare you". And tbh i see why. The movie make many attempts to build tension, i mean like many. And for the most part i can see how it would get people to feel unsettled or uncomfortable with what's going on in the movie.

I liked the movie a lot if you couldn't tell from the high ratings. I did catch my self a couple times getting like really into it but honestly it was nothing i haven't seen before. The movie was still fun with big climaxes and tones of scares that even got me to jump. Really enjoyed it. One thing i will say is so not watch it in dubbed. It sounds terrible, just suck it up and read some subtitles. Trust me it makes the movie 100% times better.

It's done as a found footage horror film, but there's two tapes going on. The modern day, as the main character is trying to get her daughter back after loosing custody, and her past. She wants to tape her daughter coming home, and so it seems like good reason to tape things.

It's of much higher quality than a lot of found footage types, and does have some special effects going on. There's some really creepy effects going on, including some pretty horrifying Trypophobic scenes. But it does suffer some of the shaky cam downfalls of found footage, but not as bad as many out there.

I really liked the story going on, it really added to the horror, and does explain things pretty well. I also liked how it actively had the authorities involved because they worry about the welfare of the child. It seems pretty logical with everything else going on that this would actually happen. I thought it was a pretty scary/creepy watch.

Overall I feel like if they shaved about 20-30 minutes off the movie and kept the direction a bit more clear It could have been really great. Minorly confusing at times how a character got somewhere or how much time passed, it also jumped back and fourth from past and present, it was fine and we figured out pretty quickly what was years in the past, but that mixed with the hazy time passing between present scenes it was a bit confusing still.

As a fan of found footage films I have seen them all and I know the difference between a good one and bad one. And this is a good one. First off the lone problem. It's too long at an hour fifty. But Asian horror is often long running and that's that. This is short by those standards.

Otherwise we get a good story, superb acting (so much so that you forget you're reading subtitles) almost constant creepy scares from the start and in general just a damn good found footage environment. Also the emotionally charged story really keeps you rooting for the protagonist the whole way as it centers around a parent's love for her child and what she will face to protect her.

Just a damn good film with plenty of scares, gore and more. Give it a watch.

Somehow they streched the story while the plot was little. The cam usage just kept me dizzy. I expected to get scared but almost fell asleep a few times due to the tempo of the movie.

If you like horror movies, you might have watched stuff at the end of which you were either 1. Glad it was over 2. Or, glad you watched it because it was fun 3. Or, both but now didn't want to dream about the movie

This film did something that I haven't come across before. Towards the end of the movie, it'll leave you feeling like you are and will continue to be a part of the movie. Get it? I was like "That was a good movie, I'm glad I watched it, but WHY did I watch it?" It's tough to explain this feeling without spoiling it so I'll leave it there.

Incantation is a story about a mother's drive to protect her daughter from a curse, no matter what/who comes in her way.

The movie is shot in found-footage (FF, cinematic technique in which all or a substantial part of the work is presented as if it were discovered film or video recordings); showing a movie in the form of a recording is fine, but the purpose of the recording and the audience's involvement with the recording is what IMO makes or breaks the FF sub-genre and I have to say, they've made really GOOD use of this technique, just by better writing. I so wish I could tell more.

Horror movies that make you feel uneasy/creeped out are so much better than the ones that heavily rely on cheap jump scares. I counted a grand total of ONE jump scare in this movie, so that is a major plus in my books. There's this continued sense of eeriness and the creeps (goosebumps galore) throughout the movie, all well conveyed by the audio-visuals and just plain silence. The acting by everybody involved was good, including the kid.

The movie does have flaws IMO, a couple dumb moments here and there, but you can't expect to make everyone happy as a moviemaker. If I look past that, it's a regular horror movie with a certain twist that makes it a GOOD horror movie, the best of the year so far...?

If you like horror movies, check this out. Watch it especially if you're a fan of the FF sub-genre, they've done something that you may not have seen before.

Ronan (Tsai Hsuan-yen) had spent time recovering in a mental institution and was now ready to be reunited with her daughter Dodo (Huang Sin-ting), who had been raised in a foster house run by Ming (Kao Ying-hsuan). However, when Dodo was with Ronan, she began to act bizarrely and "see" invisible entities called "baddies".

Ronan realized that these paranormal phenomena were related to events six years ago. She tagged along with her boyfriend Dom (Sean Lin) and his cousin Yuan (RQ) when the two returned to their village for some mystic family rituals. They began filming the proceedings for their YouTube channel, thus violating religious taboos.

Director Kevin Ko used the "found footage" style (mainly home videos and security cameras) to tell his unsettling story, going back and forth in time. The involvement of a cute child in mortal danger makes things more stressful. Ronan breaking the fourth wall to involve her audience to join her to chant "Hou-ho-xiu-yi, si-sei-wu-ma" added more creeps. The cursed video taken within cursed tomb made for a grand finale.

Incantation's premise is a decent vehicle for a found footage film. The ride to get there is engaging thanks to the efforts of a strong cast, relatable elements that ground the story, and a dreadful atmosphere. Many spells are cast and give goosebumps throughout the film.

Incantation instantly reminds you of Noroi: The Curse both in its atmospherics and scares. While there isn't much to chew on from a plot perspective, the film cooks up a few surprises in its blood-curdling imagery and special effects. The frequent timeline jumps are a bit challenging to keep up with, especially since the lines between them are (intentionally?) blurred. It's essentially a found-footage film but the lead characters frequently travel through claustrophobic spaces on their own, making it nearly impossible for the makers to retain this aspect all through. As a result, you'll randomly see some third-person shots in between all the shaky cam, clashing with the film's overall visual structure.

All said and done, it's a pretty decent effort that delivers on the atmosphere but struggles to connect past and present events within the plot.

Incantation had the potential to be great, and the earmarks of a great horror movie were present in the first five minutes: a creepy score, unsettling imagery, and the unique application of optical illusions, as well as legitimate audience participation. Sadly, the film wasn't quite able to capitalize.

Incantation's major downfalls can be found in its overuse of what can only be referred to as horror cliches. These include but are not limited to telegraphed jump scares, nonsensical character decisions for the sake of advancing the plot, and excessive "found footage" that heavily strains believability. When done well, a found footage film can be one of the most immersive horror experiences, but when characters consistently film themselves in ways that make no sense and actually become detrimental, the film tends to break the suspension of disbelief. Incantation is a particularly bad offender in this category, and frequently has protagonists waste valuable time reaching for the camera or aiming it to get a good shot rather than do literally anything more logical.

Upsides? The concept is fascinating, and the aforementioned mechanic of audience participation is implemented in a clever way. There are some genuinely haunting visuals that are absolutely not for the faint of heart, and the sound design and score of the film do a fine job of creating a creepy atmosphere when they aren't screaming at the audience to prepare for a jumpscare.

Overall, Incantation is a technically competent found footage film that fails to rise above mediocre in most aspects, but it's good enough for a single watch.

A movie that wanted all the credibility of found footage but didn't want to really put in the work. I know that found footage means you can sort of just wing it with the camera work and not really bother with the music but this would have worked better in a normal format.

It feels very deliberate how EVERYTHING gets filmed and the documentary approach (interviews with characters) doesn't help anything, the #horror scenes are cheesy and unfortunately they do include non-diegetic music.

There are positives though: although not a great example of horror that sears off the screen, there's a more than adequate story of a person trying to rebuilt their life under the ugly, watchful eye of those who would take someone's child away against the latter's will. They play it for a lot of pathos and go quite too for with it to be frank. It's not that I don't feel for these characters and their plight. It's that the whole thing feels like the author is exploiting their misery in lieu of better horroring.

The flashback element, where they are staying with that traditional family...I think maybe that should have been the whole movie. It creeped me out big time to see them painting that poor little girl.

There are other memorable moments that occur as the thing goes on and which I won't spoil. They admirably use a quite feather touch approach as we the audience just helplessly watch something that just might end up bad.

The final act carries a special sense of dread as we hang in the balance and it's fairly effective.

Those optical illusions add nothing.

Incantation: Taiwanese horror film about Chinese Folk Religion, possession, demons on the loose figure in this found footage feature. We even get people killing themselves if they watch a video. Some interesting rituals which have tragic consequences if they are interrupted. Lots of biting going on. When you are possessed it's difficult to prove that to social workers who won't believe that your daughter is now under the control of a demon as well. Also elements of child sacrifice to appease the spirits, including the Mother-Buddha. Buddhism does have it's dark side. Some disturbing scenes and genuine horror make Incantation worth watching but a 15 minute cut in it's 110 minute running time would have made it a better film. Directed and co written by Kevin Ko. On Netflix. 7/10.

Story is all over the place. Non-linear storytelling is fine but when its just coupled with shocking imagery and melodrama it rings hollow.

Its really long for the sake of being long and if the kid wasn't so cute and endearing I imagine many people wouldn't care. The found footage trope needs to go. Like reality television it does the opposite for me and just makes everything feel fake.

After watching this I had to go find more of Kevin Ko's works and I must Kevin Ko is a brilliant horror story teller. For Incantation, I loved how he involved the audience into the story, it completely changed the way I experienced horror movie . He brought horror movies to another dimension. Well done! If you are looking for the usual jump scare kinda horror movie, this is not for you.

This movie shouldn't be a mockumentary as the many cameras and angles it shows are simply not justified. Directors tried to creat an Asian Paranormal Activity meets The Grudge, but it doesn't make sense. If they wanted to make this video the mothers video they had to be loyal to the idea and not to add a thousand unjustified cameras that came out of nowhere showing past and present without explanation. Sure, people will say: oh that's an artsy movie so it doesn't have to make sense with the timing ... nop. It's just badly done and directed. Don't bother. Couldn't watch til the end.

Very refreshing horror film, I definitely recommend this to any fans of the found footage genre. Don't read anything about it, just go in and watch it blindly. Do not watch a dubbed version either, use subtitles for best experience.

Another great horror from Taiwan, found footage to boot! In this interesting and frightening supernatural story Ronan, a woman with a mental history and also a history of fighting to survive it, is in the process of regaining custody of her six-year-old daughter, Dodo. Ronan's problems started when she broke a taboo by entering a forbidden tunnel for her paranormal show Ghost Busters. That was back when Dodo was born. Now that she is regaining custody she takes Dodo home but when things start to go wrong she takes the little girl to the shrine where the tunnel is to be blessed by the keepers of the tunnel. This is a family who thinks they are cursed; I say "think" because this is based on a true story. Dodo has started seeing a baddie up near the ceiling and magical runes appear on her skin. When the witch and her man bless the child they warn Ronan, the mama, to not allow her daughter to eat for seven days. Of course mama can't manage that one, but once she feeds the girl all hell breaks. This is good. It's good in a unique Taiwan style. Like The Heirloom 2005 and The Sadness 2021 this flick is the bomb.

I mainly came to say, the dubbing, at least on netflix, is simply atrocious. I'm not expecting the lips to line up or anything absurd like that, but the voice "actors" have no emotion, they sound like they are reading it out of some rough script, never having seen the movie, or even know what it's about. You 100% can NOT watch this with English dubs.

Nice combination of first and third person perspective from that found footage style, not overly shaky but just enough where it doesn't feel choreographed. Creepy rural ceremonies, not too much gore for folks who aren't blood bath fans.

Synopsis: When a mother gets back custody of her daughter after recovering from mental trauma, supernatural events start to occur around them which are somehow connected to the mother's past.

Cinematic Analysis: Incantation is a found-footage-styled ritualistic horror film. The story revolves around an ancient ritual that has been passed from one generation to the next, practised & performed by a family. Now, what is this ritual, why it's being performed and how it's connected to our lead character is what this film tells us.

The film doesn't rely heavily on jump scares, instead, the horror aspect lies in its artistic style and the eerie atmosphere that it tries to create around us. The film's objective is clear: to make viewers uncomfortable and a few scenes do succeed in doing so. I'm not a fan of find-footage films although I loved the 2019's Blair Witch game, Incantation is quite intriguing and the cinematography, especially in the rituals and temple scenes is top tier. Bgm too suits the situation.

Now talking about negatives, the overall structure of the film is a little complex and hard to follow at times as the film switches between the past and the present a lot. Sometimes it feels like some piece of the story is missing when the scene transitions. Like The Babadook (2014), a mother-child pair is in the centre of the film, but I missed that emotional bond in this film, although I clearly resonate with whatever is shown & explained at the end.

Conclusion: At the end of the day, Incantation successfully induces a feeling of being cursed through its artistic style, uncomfortable imagery and an interesting ritualistic angle. A less messy structure would have helped a lot in elevating the experience. Whether you will like this film or not, totally depends on your taste.

Theme(s): Rituals, Curse, Family, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Paranormal Entity

Tell the truth moment: Did you follow everything instructed during the final moments of the film? Do you feel cursed now? Would love to know your thoughts on this film in the comments (Letterboxd: M_Movie_Reviews).

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Rating: 7.0/10.