Sortilège

Does this film bring anything new to the horror genre? No. It absolutely doesn't but I still liked it.

A lot of people are hating on this because it is nothing new but hey, don't you already know this going into it? I did so, I totally didn't care. I was ready to see the same ol' horror flick with some hoodoo magic and that was what I got.

The actors are good and it is an almost entirely African American cast. Our two main characters are played by Omari Hardwick and Loretta Devine. These folks know how to act. If you wanna complain about something they've done fine but don't knock them in this because they carried the entire film.

I personally enjoyed this little twist of a Misery-like film. If you don't think you want to see something like it, don't watch it. If you think it sounds interesting, go for it. It's not gonna knock your socks off but it has a few cringe worthy moments with great performances from our two lead characters. in all honesty, these other reviewers just sound a bit jaded rather than being willing to give credit where credit is due.

I liked it. A lot of questionable decisions, some questionable shots, a story that will upset the pc brigade (oh because we can't make horror movies with countryside people anymore...), a lot of things that shouldn't work, but for me, it worked as a good thriller.

Yeah, it's not exactly horror, sometimes you have a 80s feelings ("go get Lewwwwis"), it feels like a small movie, but a comfortable small movie, tense, well acted, atmospheric, stylish and you are always looking for what comes next.

Doesn't work for most, worked for me. That's it.

Some people compare Spell with Misery and I get it for the fact that a guy is being held in a bed, with a foot injury, but other than that the comparison just ends. Misery is some much better, with so much more suspense and better actors. That said Spell isn't bad, there is a fair amount of suspense, but the story is just not that believable because of some scenes. A man with his injuries couldn't do what he did, that's just a fact, and those kind of little details bring the quality of a story down. The acting was decent, so no complaints about that. If you're not too picky about details and just want to enjoy a bit of suspenseful entertainment Spell is worth a watch. It will just never be a classic like Misery though.

'Spell' is just 90 minutes of pure schlocky b-movie fun. They introduced some basic story elements at the beginning of the film, and I thought that this was going to be a basic occult horror film, probably mixed with psychological elements. But it's not.

At some point, they just drop the common sense and start having fun. If you're not new to movies you will catch the ending very fast, since the main lead literally explains the plot talking to the viewer (I was wondering why he wasn't looking at the camera). So you're just expecting more random and bizarre stuff to happen, and they deliver.

At times, the film felt more like a cheesy horror game but without jumpscares, the superhuman main character, zero realism, and people were driven not by motivation but by video game rules. Other times it felt like a weird combination of a horror-comedy, revenge film, Rambo sequel, and an 80ties TV-show.

I can't say I'd like to recommend this film, but if you love cheesy b-movie fun, gore, and intentional overacting (and you are prepared to switch-off your brain for 90 minutes) - you can give it a try. I can promise you - you will laugh a lot.

But if you try to take this seriously as a suspenseful occult horror film this clearly won't end up making your day better.

This is a great little film. Full of suspense, excellent adult actors (not so much the kids), some genuinely gruesome moments and excellent soundtrack. They did exceptionally well with a modest budget. My wife and I had a great time and enjoyed the folklore and frights.