Shaman
“Shaman” is so-so – it’s neither a “yah, mon” nor a “nah, man.”
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I dig a good possession picture and therefore my interest was piqued for “Shaman” (available in select theaters and on VOD beginning Friday, Aug. 8). It’s no “The Exorcist” or even “The Pope’s Exorcist,” but it’s not an abomination either.
“The Vampire Diaries” co-stars Sara Canning and Daniel Gillies (this dude needs to get cast as Guy Pearce’s brother stat – the resemblance is pretty staggering) play married couple Candice and Joel. They’re living their best Coldplay “Viva la Vida” lives as, “missionaries in a foreign field,” evangelizing to the indigenous peoples of Ecuador. Along for the ride is their teenage son Elliot (Jett Klyne, he was one of the Maximoff twins on “WandaVision”). Things are going swimmingly and they’re making converts up until Elliot ventures into a cave he was warned to stay away from and gets possessed by an ancient demonic spirit.
Candice seeks the assistance of local priest Father Meyer (Alejandro Fajardo) in performing an exorcism on Elliot, but it’s possible that the titular Shaman (Humberto Morales) – whom she blames for her son’s possession – may be their only salvation.
“Shaman” is a family affair as helmed by Colombia-born and Ecuador-raised prolific television director Antonio Negret, scripted by Negret’s brother Daniel (he’s executive produced elevated horror fare along the lines of “Possessor,” “Talk to Me” and “Bring Her Back”) and produced by both Negrets and Antonio’s wife Luiza Ricupero.
It’s a slow-burn horror flick that’s a bit of a bore/chore initially, but gets markedly better the crazier it gets as it goes along. The film does boast some solid performances from the aforementioned actors (I was especially impressed by Klyne in possession mode) as well as some beautiful Ecuadorian scenery. I also appreciated the movie’s message about people imparting their beliefs upon others and the hypocrisy that often entails.
“Shaman” is so-so – it’s neither a “yah, mon” nor a “nah, man.”