Michael no longer wants to partake in the paranormal business he and partner Josh started together. But Josh convinces him to take on one last case, far more troubling than anything they have ever worked on before and possibly the one that changes Michael's life forever.
The film hooked me in with the very first line: a priest saying he gets more people to attend church with a sermon about Satan than one about Jesus. While that introduction really has little bearing on the rest of the film, it caught my imagination and had me wondering. Surely, it sounds true enough. And it makes for quite an interesting experiment – are people merely fascinated by the idea of evil, or are they driven more by fear of hell than hope for heaven?
The filming took place (at least partially) way down in Kokomo, Indiana, so we know the title is legit. We also know this is Indiana because of the traffic lights. Having been around the country, and living in the Midwest, this reviewer can confirm that Indiana has a look all its own. With the exception of Bloomington (a prosperous college town) and New Albany (a Louisville suburb), the state has the appearance of being constantly under construction, with road repair never ending.
As another reviewer summed up the film, this is a paranormal story on a shoestring budget. That really is the beginning and the end of the deal. There are no great scares, there is no attempt to convince the audience the paranormal is real (or fake). The majority of the film revolves around two friends in a vehicle, or briefly on a radio program, who have the same passion but tend to disagree. The only really paranormal aspects are not until much later – there was nothing that could not have been made by anyone with a camera and an adequate amount of talent.
This is not meant to be disparaging to the director by any means. There is nothing wrong with being a low budget film. What matters is what you do with that budget and the talent you amass. "Indiana" is skillfully shot, professionally acted, and is as big as a film as it needs to be. To expect anything over the top (ala "Paranormal Activity") would be the mistake of the viewer, not of the filmmakers.
"Indiana" screened July 30, 2017 at the Fantasia International Film Festival. How many Midwesterners are in Montreal is not known, but the ones who are will recognize a piece of home. What a joy that everyone else will get to experience it, too, and not the same old Hollywood backlot.
