The Summoned

Was able to catch this at Overlook and it was a really fun time! Loved the acting and the camera work. Not super bloody/scary which I appreciated, but more fun/tense. Fun movie to watch in a group!!

"The Summoned" promised a suspenseful horror, but the finale product is deeply disapointing. I feel like in some ways it tried to mimic "Get Out" and definitely didin't succeed. The story itself is quite messy because the main plot is basically only told (by the characters) and not shown. Because of that the story doesn't really come through and in the end you are left with asking yourself "what was this film actually about?". Most of the scenes are horror cliches and in my opinion some were too cheesy and even laughable. Overall I am sure I felt extremely bored watching it and I am going to forget this film very soon.

Summoned to a remote estate in the wilderness, a couple attending a self-help retreat find that they've been subjected to a series of supernatural hauntings intended to return a debt brought forth by their ancestors generations ago and must find a way to settle it before they become victims.

This was a decent enough if somewhat misguided effort. When this one works nicely is the highly understated relationship on display that showcases how effective the pact is. Getting a rather immediate start on the material prospects between the couples by seeing their careers and overall wealth at the moment we meet them at the house where we realize the completely out-of-his-element setup established. The mega-wealthy aspects here in terms of their overall appearance and general means of going about the world, the vapidness of their interactions towards each other once they realize he's not involved in their society only gets enhanced once the treatment sessions begin. That becomes more apparent once the twist comes about in the later stages here featuring the reveal about the past inhabitants of the retreat that ties into their visit but the actual reveal of the hosts' malicious nature towards him which is quite chilling once it's all spelled out. These factors are enough to keep this one intriguing enough for the most part while there are numerous issues to be had with this one. The biggest issue here is the utterly uninteresting and barely worthwhile group of influencers that we're following for the majority of the film. It's incredibly obvious how out-of-place he is amongst the group not just because he's nowhere near as wealthy with his grounded approach but also because the more likable personality he has is in total contrast to their vast wealth and superficiality. That he would even be in the situation of dating her is never explained and he never seems to fit into the situation in any sense so these scenes come off rather clunky and somewhat boring to sit through when we're spending time before the twist occurs that doesn't redeem them but merely makes it understandable why they're who they are. That ends up making the twist itself seem far less impactful with an abundance of over-explanations to try to make it seem like these events are taking place by the deal set up which is incredibly convoluted and feels like contrivance more than anything. These are what hold this one back overall.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Language and Violence.

The film starts off as a slow burn mystery. Or it tries to. Clues to what is actually going on are handed out way to frequently.

When the big reveal hits, it feels a bit rushed and heavy-handed.

All that being said though, there is a solid, enjoyable film here.

My biggest gripe was the music. Don't get me wrong, it's well written, well orchestrated and well produced, but the way it is used just seems dated. It seems to try too hard, to the point that many scenes seem to have too much music. It made me think of soundtracks to late 90s and early 2000s straight-to-video movies. The music was by no means bad, but just overplayed. It's like the film-makers had no faith in the shots to create the desired atmosphere and fell back on the music to do the job. It should be a shared responsibility.

Rating Breakdown: Story - 0.75 :: Direction - 1.00 :: Pacing - 0.50 :: Performances - 1.00 :: Entertainment - 1.00 TOTAL - 4.25/10

The good news and the bad news are the same: the story. Yuri Baranovsky weaves a mystery that intrigues and unsettles, but as the plot thickens, so does the film's self-importance. The deeper it goes, the more it revels in its own cleverness, and that smugness distances the audience from the suspense rather than drawing them in. Director Mark Meir clearly favours slow-burning tension, but this one burns so slowly it almost goes out. The pace drags when it should pulse, leaving the audience more likely to check the time than grip their seats.

The final act is where things pick up, finally injecting energy and clarity into the story. But by then, the sluggish pacing has already done its damage. The performances are a mixed bag-Frederick Stuart and J. Quinton Johnson bring a sense of authority, but the rest of the cast struggles to make the character-driven storytelling as engaging as it needs to be.

Is it worth watching? Perhaps, but only as a one-time curiosity rather than a film to recommend. You will need patience and possibly caffeine to get through the slower sections, but if you stick with it, there are moments of intrigue buried within the plodding pace.