She is then recaptured and is put in a car with Roger, who is to take her to the asylum. Thanks again in part to Gallands script, the film succeeds in getting you to feel for Ava. Alter Egos was a solid second feature, but its pretty evident that Galland is taking a major step forward with this one. there is an excellent twist that I was totally not expecting! The relationship between the parents and the surrogate is very loving and there is a sense of understanding between them. The Netflix series, created by Simon Barry and (loosely) based on the Warrior Nun Areala comics by Ben Dunn, stars Alba Baptista as Ava, a 19 year-old who wakes up in the morgue after having an angelic halo planted in her back. Avas quest for the truth makes the film feel like more of a detective yarn than a straight-up horror flick, and Galland elevates the noirish tone with a heavy use of atmospheric neon. While Ava is struggling to clean up her apartment and mend fences with old friends (you sorta acted like a megabitch when you were possessed, one observes) she attends AA-like sessions led by the hard-nosed Tony (Wass Stevens). Awards what's the problem. Oops, I said the d-word. Jessica Chastain stars in a new action-thriller revolving around an assassin, and here's how Ava ends and sets up a sequel. Well, as grounded as things would get in this films universe. Youll want to know how it ends, but may come to dread which way the evidence is pointing. BetweenAvas Possessions andAlter Egos, its pretty clear that Galland isa skilledworld builder. From Austin Butler and Cate Blanchett to a potential Best Supporting Actress toss-up, see who EW thinks will win at the 2023 Oscars. Cookie Notice Sounds as fresh as it is with humor that isn't trying to be funny, but definitely is. "[Review] 'Ava's Possessions' Takes Post-Demonic Possession In a Fresh Direction - Bloody Disgusting! Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter. Late in the show, writers Shahar Magen and Valrie Zenatti introduce the cause of Natalies man troubles. But that's all i am going to tell you. I'm generally skeptical of anything Hollywood calls "multicultural." It's usually a cover phrase for "objectively without value except for raising your social . It premiered at the Dead by Dawn Horror Film Festival in 2015, and was given a DVD and Video on Demand release in 2016. I just watched this movie and I kind of liked it. Don't make this any more serious than it already is. In "Ava's Possessions" it's just the beginning as the priest commences the procedure along with opening credit. While the mixing of different tones without going straight into horror wont be to everyones liking, its still a unique film that deserves a watch to see that not every possession film has to be told the same way. Entertainment Weekly may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Now demonic possession is a sub genre where almost everything has been done, some perfected it, some tried there level best and. some.. well we'll talk about the devil inside (2012) some other time. I guess this is actually a serious attempt at a horror movie. It adds a kind of absurdity to the film that isnt necessarily played up for laughs, but still evokes a certain amount of humour that adds another dimension to the film. Ava's Possessions 2015 R 1 h 29 m IMDb RATING 5.6 /10 3.3K YOUR RATING Rate Play trailer 1:56 2 Videos 15 Photos Comedy Horror Mystery A young woman recovers from a demonic possession. Furious, Ava begins screaming and the office door swings open, showing the shadow of Ava's demon. I spent the entire flick wondering why respected actors like William Sadler, Carol Kane and Lou Taylor Pucci (who is unrecognizable here) would stoop to participate in this sorry excuse of a film. Ava's Possessions is a 2015 American supernatural comedy horror film written and directed by Jordan Galland. After an exorcism frees her soul, a young woman (Louisa Krause) attends Spirit Possession Anonymous and meets a fellow victim (Whitney Able) who wants her demon back. Double A Horror Highway Favorite Opening Scenes In Horror. Film data from TMDb. Visually weak as most of the setups are "people in a room talking". Its a garishly happy affair, already marked with a portent of doom. Overview; Details; While struggling to recover from the trauma of demonic possession, Ava Dopkins attempts to resume a normal life. Debuting on HBO Max on Thursday, the French and Hebrew language thriller opens at the wedding of French expat Natalie (Nadia Tereszkiewicz) and handsome Israeli nonentity Eran (Valley of Tears Imri Biton dont get too attached). From an acting and character standpoint, Krause nails it as Ava with a realistically straight performance. Its situation comedy dealing with horror. Here, possession is commonplace enough the judicial system has a way of handling it: Either you can stand trial for all the crimes your body committed while you werent in control, or you can enroll in Spirit Possession Anonymous. The SPA program requires members to talk to family, friends and strangers that they might have encountered while possessed so that they can figure out exactly what happened. Ava's family chooses to commit her but Ava manages to gain a lead on Ben's father via a prostitute. So what is this movie really? Ava's parents (William Sadler and Deborah Rush), sister (Whitney Able), and her sister's fiance Roger (Zachary Booth) are all concerned for her. ("We don't say the D-word.") Partway between the worlds, she can see the other world intruding into ours; or perhaps she had become nuts. About 20 minutes in I had to check that I wasn't watching a series pilot. With no memory of the past month, she is forced to attend a Spirit Possessions Anonymous support group. As Ava struggles to reconnect with her friends, get her job back, and figure out where the huge blood stain in her apartment came from, she is plagued by nightmarish visions - the demon is trying to come back. There's quite the idea here, comically displays the aftereffect of the unfortunate event, but it becomes too busy with overload of subplots, colors and eventually too plodding for its own good. Very often in horror comedies we get over-the-top ridiculous humor with intentionally silly gore and a simple yet coherent plot. Ava's family is of little help, as Ava gets the impression they are hiding something. 2 May 2016. The halo cures Ava's paralysis and gives her superpowers, but also burdens her with the mantle of the Warrior Nun. Beginning where most, if not all, exorcism-related horror movies end, "Ava's Possessions" travels the path less taken, chronicling its titular character's recovery from a brutal bout with a demon name Naphula. Fun performances and unique ideas carry it. Cooky. Jordan Galland's sharp satire Ava's Possessions, on the other hand . They've got to attend Spirit Possessions Anonymous. However, this scene is clearly established to be taking place at night. The story is not only a different take, but is also . Thats expected sometime in 2023. How Marvel went big with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. This complicates her attempts to make amends with those she injured while possessed, including a stranger named Conrad, the pursuit of whom opens up a whole new can of worries for poor Ava. Letterboxd is an independent service created by a small team, and we rely mostly on the support of our members to maintain our site and apps. He takes these very familiar big screen scenarios, puts his own smart spin on them and then he winds up with these especially appealing and thoughtful concepts that are a blast to consider well beyond the feature. Salems Lot: William Sadler Joins Adaptation of Stephen King Novel! Ava's life was hijacked by a demon, now it's time to get it back. Honestly, one of the better horror comedies in a while, and I'll tell you why; the comedy fits the horror. Sign up for our newsletter HERE. Having no memory of the past month, she agrees to sign on with a support group for people like herself in hopes of undoing the damage done in her life (as well as having the charges against her dropped). That is the way to connect to the audience, and this movie does it well. Louisa Krause stars as the titular Ava, a young woman that must learn how to put her life together after a demon is exorcised from her body. Watch Ava's Possessions Theatrical Trailer, The movie playing at around 55 minutes is. When Ava is in her apartment with Ben she gets a phone call. Theres an SPA handbook thats a bit reminiscent of the Handbook for the Recently Deceased in Beetlejuice, members are instructed to not use the D word and they also all have very different relationships with their uninvited spiritual guest. Whereas Ava is eager to get rid of her rather malicious evil entity, another group member named Hazel (Annabelle Dexter-Jones) has basically fallen in love with hers. The film ends with Ava rebuilding her life and working with Tony in the facility office. Just another solid pickup for a dollar. The characters, particularly our protagonist, Ava, have enough depth and charm to make us care about each one as the story unfolds. This is the one. Father Merrino (John Ventimiglia) extracts the demon and Ava takes controls of her body again, but she cant recall a single thing that happened since the start of her possession - and a lot of things happened. Though sometimes clever, it doesnt offer anything like the deep-geek inventiveness of, say, Simon Pegg and Edgar Wrights movies. Ooops. With no memory of the past month, she must attend a Spirit Possessions Anonymous support group to figure out what happened. It doesn't go too extreme either way, and sits right in a perfect middle ground, even for those who are big horror fans. A support group that helps her readjust herself after having a demon inside her fucking things up. Wth was that about? She then discovers that while she did kill Ben's father, he was only in the apartment because he was a hitman that Roger had hired to murder her, as Ava had seen Roger with the prostitute and then joined the two of them for a sexual encounter. In "Ava's Possessions" it's just the beginning as the priest commences the procedure along with opening credit. Spirit Possessions Anonymous, where the d-word is a big no-no. The first act of the film is absolutely brimming with hilarious and oddly practical concerns regarding Avas situation. Ava struggles to make amends with those she hurt while possessed and get her life back together only to have the demon return to possess her once again. Evicting a demon from its host is just the beginning. Im reasonably confident you wont be quick to solve the murder mystery at the heart of Possessions. If you do work out the exact whys and wherefores before, say, episode four of six Im more than a bit worried about you. But grisly visions continue to plague her . If you love (deader than) deadpan stuff that is. Director Jordan Galland Writer Jordan Galland Stars Louisa Krause Whitney Able Deborah Rush See production, box office & company info Watch on Prime Video She believed that she should value death over having Jonah take her status and possessions and let her live like a prisoner. Being possessed once increases chances of another possession tenfold, you see, and one must be trained to fight off that homesick evil spirit. Welcome to the Quantum Realm. Rating: R (Bloody. She may even end up in jail for her crimes. Unwisely, Ava agrees to assist her friends flirtation with the underworld, going to buy spells from an occultist (Carol Kane, delicious in her forces-you-dont-understand warnings). Facing multiple criminal offenses, Ava opts to go into "Spirit Possession Anonymous" where she meets Hazel who liked being possessed and wants to embrace her demon. "Ava's Possessions" follows the titular character, a young woman who wakes up one day tied to her bed after an exorcism. It happened in the dark, and when the lights come up, Natalie, her white dress now drenched in blood and her hand on the murder weapon, is the prime suspect. AVA'S POSSESSIONS (2015) After an exorcism expels her demon, a young woman joins an odd support group to piece together the mystery of what happened during her possession. The movie takes itself serious, and doesn't at the same time. Avas Possessions picks up post-exorcism, as Brooklynite Ava (Martha Marcy May Marlene star Louisa Krause) wakes up with no memory of her 28-day possession. Gotham Knights Horror Icon Doug Bradley Playing Iconic DC Villain in The CW Series! Other reviews already mention the unnecesary subplots. A supernatural comedy that kicks off after the exorcism. and that music, with all its funhouse-mirror doo-wop and moody rockabilly-ish twang, was ready for action. The colors used to make day and night feel different are just a superb touch and adds to the story being a genuine fun ride. Part of Avas recovery plan is to retrace her steps and atone for her possession-induced sins, which has her tracking down prostitutes and searching for the source of an enormous bloodstain in her apartment. Ava is just your average twenty something who's just been exorcised. Joking aside, the story Avas Possessions is seriously its strong point. Her only clue to the person's identity is an engraved watch that leads her to Ben (Lou Taylor Pucci), who tells her that it belonged to his father. After breaking into Hollywood with a number of prestige dramatic roles, Ava is the latest example of Chastain continuing her push into action blockbusters in recent years. Definitely worth a watch, any way you can find it. He throws her out of the program, as the tattoo makes it easy for the demon to return. External Reviews The cast was great, the cinematography was appropriately oddball (so many Dutch angles! Her family and friends arent exactly sympathetic. But is it enough to give viewers something different? It's not the typical horror slapstick, it plays more like a sitcom of sorts, in the truest sense. THR adds, Plot details are being kept in a cryochamber, but as opposed to the other movies which focused on adults in corporate, militaristic and scientific roles, this now-ninth installment of the franchise will focus on a group of young people.. Jordan Gallands sharp satire Avas Possessions, on the other hand, follows the titular heroine through her demonic recuperation process, resulting in an irreverent, ingenious look at what it means to recover. What does make this film a worth while watch is the performance from the main actress, coupled with the interesting, if not predictable, story. For more information, please see our The movie after all the Possession movies What Happens After Your Demon Has Been Exorcised? She discovers that her mother had also previously been possessed by the same demon, hinting that their bloodline is predisposed to possessions. says the actress. Its more comedy than horror, but it mixes enough to make it a decent watch. With no memory of the past month, she must attend a Spirit Possessions . For me if they just stuck more to the world that a demon possession could offer would have been much much better. I think it hints that her sister performed a demon summoning ritual or something, but I don't understand why. Louisa Krause stars in the titular lead role Ava, a woman who's in the process of recovery after being afflicted by demonic possession. When I originally heard about a little movie called "Tonight, We Stay Indoors" by no-budget filmmaker Joseph Larsen, I was intrigued in similar ways. For a while, Karim and Natalies team up is the weirdest thing about the show, which has the typical gritty police work and societal excavations one expects from Israeli prestige programming. To republish, copy the HTML by clicking on the yellow button to the right; it includes our tracking pixel, all paragraph styles and hyperlinks, the author byline and credit to the Forward. Fede Alvarezs Alien Movie Fills Out Cast With Four More Fresh Faces, Eli Roths Thanksgiving Cast Adds Milo Manheim, Scream Why Wes Cravens Classic Is Still the Perfect Scary Movie for Horror Newcomers, Nosferatu Aaron Taylor-Johnson Joins the Cast of Robert Eggers Remake, Hellboy: The Crooked Man Adeline Rudolph and Jefferson White Join the Reboot, Poltergeist Amazon Reportedly Looking to Revive the Franchise, Agent Elvis Trailer Elvis Gets Bloody in Netflixs Adult Animated Series on March 17th, From Season 2 Teaser Trailer Critically Acclaimed Series Returns to MGM+ in April. Perri's a proud graduate of Columbia University's Film MFA program and member of the Critics Choice Association. Ava must now make amends with those she affected during her possession and take action to see that the spirit does not re-enter her. Its not just Rosa who resorts to ritual in the wake of the tragedy. No word yet on Alvarezs pitch for his own take on the material, but we expect more real soon. A French family has been left heartbroken after their 19-month-old daughter died during their Miami . A light riff on a staple of horror cinema. Finally someone made a movie, that is so obvious, you really wonder, how no one came up with that simple yet brilliant concept yet. It was more of a mystery than a horror film, but it was certainly a thriller. So what do we have here? Ava learns from therapy that though she has been freed of possession, she was still very vulnerable to those beings. A semicomic mystery imagining what happens after the credits roll on a demonic-possession fright flick, Jordan Galland 's Ava's Possessions realizes the obvious it ain't easy to reenter . If they made a second one I'd watch it. Filming kicks off later this month. | Project: Nightlight Has Delayed March 3 Release, New Beta Early Access Gameplay Trailer Gives Diablo IV Fans a Taste of Hell [Video]. I mean "entity." It's basically jail, or join a group a lot like AA but for possession victims: Spirit Possession Anonymous. [1] Entertainment Weekly wrote a mostly favorable review, criticizing it for having too many plot threads in one movie but stating that "Krauses deadpan wit, coupled with the inspired scenes at Spirit Possessions Anoymous, make Avas Possessions a fun, fresh take on a genre staple. Bernard: Are you still smoking marijuana? Instead of focusing on her possession, this movie asks the question, what is life like AFTER your demon has been exorcised? Having wrought havoc on the public during her demonic spree, she is ordered by the court to a "spiritual possessions anonymous" group to reorient herself. Relatively well acted with a unique spin on the possession genre. When I read the premise of this movie, I knew I had to see it. As Ava struggles to reconnect with her friends, get her job back, and figure out where the huge blood stain in her apartment came from, she is plagued by nightmarish visions - the demon is trying to come back. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. This movie drew my attention due to its somewhat original premise. Quirky and naturally charming in sort of deadpan way, Krause, like many other leads in similarly peculiar films, holds her own and delivers a good performance that I think could be even better without the script's limitations. Overall this was a fun movie, with good acting, and some neat effects. All Rights Reserved. Ava is recovering from demonic possession. Throughout "Possession," we view Anna through Mark's eyes, always tinted in blue, her visage becoming more eldritch and terrifying with time. I know I certainly wouldn't mind seeing a Spirit Possessions Anonymous TV show. Yes, a visual treat as well. Overall, its a sexy and funny horror mystery, cool enough to be worth the time. | But while trying to deconstruct a series of toxic relationships between Natalie, her parents, her beaus and Karim, her countrys clingy man in Israel, the series ends up painting her as an accidental and unfeeling femme fatale by fating the men in her life to tribulation and her to an ice queen veneer. Throw in a bunch of bad dialogue and some skinless sex scenes and you have an attempt at a movie. . The priest exorcised it out of her and now she goes to SPA. It becomes so much more relatable, and that makes the comedy work. The story itself isnt without subjective flaws, mind you. Rentals include 30 days to start watching this video and 3 days to finish once started. They walk down the aisle to a chuppah wreathed in fog machine exhaust and pyrotechnics. A semicomic mystery imagining what happens after the credits roll on a demonic-possession fright flick, Jordan Gallands Avas Possessions realizes the obvious it aint easy to reenter polite society after spending weeks unleashing hell and then makes things worse. Theres still a serious tone to the film, but the variety of tones that make up the story definitely keeps things interesting. Normally, a possession movie ends with the victim baths in sunlight or in some cases wanders into the dark. And a slut, another (played by Girls Jemima Kirke) adds. It's a question not many movies have asked, so I sat down and took it in. If you don't know, "Tonight, We Stay Indoors" is essentially about what happens after a slasher movie. There have been sequels to exorcism movies of course and they show a sort of aftermath, but this is an "original", without any background as to what happened before. Her latest film puts her in the titular role of Ava and teams her up with director Tate Taylor after . That alone lends to a sort of relatable aspect that you don't often get with a horror movie. Lonely and confused as to what exactly caused her to become possessed, Ava agrees to help Hazel's demon return via a ritual, which results in Hazel getting committed. Still Alive Watch Demi Lovatos Scream VI Music Video Featuring New Clips from the Movie! Letterboxd Limited. Very often in horror comedies we get over-the-top ridiculous humor with intentionally silly gore and a simple yet coherent plot. Not completely.. Entertainment Weekly is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved. Also POSSIBLE SPOILER! At the same time Shai wonders, as others do, if Erans death was retribution for marrying Natalie a sign that Maybe she wasnt his. This amateurish mess of a movie tries to be a horror/comedy but falls flat. Also, the ending is a bit abrupt with its rapid-fire resolution, and is a marked difference from the way the film was building up to this point. 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You must credit the Forward, retain our pixel and preserve our canonical link in Google search. Critical reception for Ava's Possessions has been mixed and the film holds a rating of 69% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 16 reviews. The film had its world premiere at the Dead by Dawn Horror Film Festival on April 26, 2015. Roger drives Ava to Tony's now empty classroom, where he forces her to put on the necklace and bring back the demon, as he believes the two of them had a connection. It has a charming sense of humor and a wonderful visual eye, creating a sort of technicolor 60's sitcom palette at times. Not only does it put a completely new spin on the concept, but its also a downright brilliant idea that could sustain far more than 89 minutes of screen time. Lending credibility are the performances by veterans William Sadler and Deborah Rush, who nail whats required in their roles and the story. It was pretty cool trying to figure out what's happening and putting the story together. Film: Ava's Possessions (2015) So what do we have here? The well developed psychological, horror thriller avoids the by now over-used blatantly scary scenes and instead uses a more Hitchcock-directed approach. Vibrant, red blood splotches run down her mouth as she . Ava. Horror is in trouble if this doesn't become a cult classic someday. And therein lies another major theme of Possessions: possessiveness. Read Perri's Ava's Possessions review from SXSW 2015; Jordan Galland's latest feature stars Louisa Krause, Lou Taylor Pucci and Wass Stevens. Ava awakens to find a priest at her bedside; unbeknownst to her, she's been possessed by Naphula, a demon from hell, for the past month, but the priest has successfully exorcised the demon and she's herself again. The project is described as an original standalone feature, and THR notes that Alvarez wrote the script with Rodo Sayagues (Evil Dead). Bernard: I mean, it's a gateway drug, okay? The idea of AA for the post-possessed is another brilliant novelty in the film. PJ Grisar is the Forwards culture reporter. Ava: Are you seriously blaming me for being possessed? However, things change when the baby is born and revealed to be deaf. Dont want to miss anything on the site? By the time the cake cutting begins, Eran is dead. The last time Jonah saw Sophie, he wanted to give her a second chance. Where precisely does it go off the rails? It happened . During their sessions together, Ava expresses attraction towards Caleb. Louisa Krause stars as the titular Ava, a young woman that must learn how to put her life together after a demon is exorcised from her body. Freaking excellent! The movie does have a great way of making what is a horror trope feel like a regularity, and with that comes the mundane and irritation of every day life.
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