iPossessed

I was a little hesitant at first because I'm not much into horror movies, but I was assured this was more of a psychological thriller. They were right, and I was not disappointed. The beginning had a couple of "stop/starts" as the premise was set up. But once they got into the main storyline, things ramped up very well. Things start to turn awkward quickly, and then everything goes to h-e-double-hockey-sticks. But who's possessed by what? Plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing. The actors did a great job of acting outside the dialogue, and their reactions to what's happening are authentic. You can feel the discomfort the characters are feeling. Even though this isn't my favorite genre, I was entertained and enjoyed the movie. Definitely worth a watch.

After watching our hero chop wood for waaay to long to be interesting, interspersed with occasional shots of our heroine driving, their sexy banter reveals them to be brother and sister? It only goes downhill from there.

Despite the lowercase i in the title, no technology was harmed in the making of this film, and other than an occasional phone call and one text message, we get no explanation. A screening audience was told the original script featured a haunted iPhone, and though the movie changed, the title didn't.

The "twist" in the movie seems like they had to force it in with a crowbar, as it makes no sense and adds nothing to the story.

The lead actor is also the writer, and the producer, and with him phoning in a performance more wooden than all the logs he spent time chopping at the film's opening sequence, this comes off like a vanity piece, rather than the suspenseful supernatural thriller we expected.

Sadly, though the other actors are all much more equipped for the job, everyone comes off as very one dimensional and there is no character development. They are all good in their roles, especially the female lead, but she is underutilized and we don't get to know anyone else well enough to care what happens to them... A continuity editor could have helped with some scenes, but the camera work is great, and the score is wonderful.

IPossessed scratches every itch that is craved by a fan of the horror/thriller/paranormal genre. The film weaves together familiar elements of paranormal stories, while maintaining a distinct identity. It is FULL of unpredictable twists and turns, and pays off with an intense, jaw-dropping closing scene.

The acting was also very strong. Meghan Carrasquillo was very endearing as Zoe (and terrifying post-transformation as the demon.) I actually wished there was more of her in the second half of the film. Carl Rimi as Tad excelled as a veteran who seems to be experiencing a hard time readjusting to civilian life. Carl did a great job portraying intense emotions for a character who is set up to be rather stoic.

Overall, the strength of the film lies in the unique twists and the bold plot choices. Definitely worth the watch!

Returning home from the war, a retired Army veteran decides to hold a housewarming party with his friends and family at a new farmhouse he's purchased, but when his struggles with the war threaten to interfere in the night, a demonic possession proves to be the least of his worries.

This was a fairly fun if somewhat flawed genre effort. When this one works well is due to the main setup involving the means of possession and how the group is caught up in the act. The initial gathering at the house and letting everyone go through their initial introductions showing them trying to bond over the past and what happened to them while they were in the war which starts to affect the rest of the trip gets this one off to a strong start with the whole thing bringing up the possession incredibly well. As the traumatic events in the past get shared and the idea of the possessed figure forcing them into the open to discuss the issues they've long since forgotten about and buried, it causes the film to delve into an uncomfortable series of discussions and revelations about what's going on that include infidelity, accidental pregnancies, and other incidents that are soon revealed leading to plenty of graphic deaths here for a lot to like about it. While these features come together rather well, the whole thing is soon undone by the inability to make the possession a prominent threat at the expense of the trauma porn the rest of the film delves into. After setting up the stages of the possession and whether it's true or not, the individual simply sits soundly doing nothing, letting the others play out their conversations without interference. This drastically reduces the tension and fear of what's going on by going for endless dialogue scenes about their tortured pasts and buried secrets, without getting the kind of supernatural action that was promised when it was initially brought about, that a demonic possession was bringing up. That causes the other issue here in that it focuses so heavily on these aspects of grief and trauma that it's not nearly as interesting or thrilling as it thinks it is going through the mindset as it falls into a series of cliches that are part of the genre inherently through using these tactics, all of which bring this one down.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Language and Graphic Violence.

I enjoy watching this movie. It's brings a lot of tension and drama. In some points the music brings that tension of the unknown and the expectation of what is going to happens next? I like that they leave at the end the possibility that there is going to be a sequel.

Also the movie bring up an alert of true life situations that happen all over the world; the trauma of military people that carry them for the rest of their life's and don't receive the attention that they need, the guilty conscious of an abortion, the abuse to a woman, the infidelity and the homosexuality, all this themes that are so controversial. Let's see what's going to happen next.