As long as you look at this as a low-budget horror movie, starring someone with moderate star power, you’ll enjoy The Possession of Hannah Grace.
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As long as you look at this as a low-budget horror movie, starring someone with moderate star power, you’ll enjoy The Possession of Hannah Grace.
| Director(s) | Diederik Van Rooijen | |
| Written By | Brian Sieve | |
| Date Released | 11/30/2018 | |
| Genre(s) | Horror | |
| Good If You Like | Indie styled horror movies | |
| Noted Cast | ||
| Megan | Shay Mitchell | |
| Andrew | Grey Damon | |
| Lisa | Stana Katic | |
| Hannah | Kirby Johnson | |
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The Possession of Hannah Grace‘s Plot (Ending on 2nd Page)
After the trauma of her partner, when she was a cop, dying because she didn’t react, Megan went into a downward spiral. I’m talking depression, anxiety, drinking, and pills. During all this, she even lost her boyfriend, a fellow cop, Andrew. However, thanks to going to AA meetings and her sponsor Lisa, she started to get her life back together. Lisa even got her a job at the morgue of the hospital she works at.
That is when things get weird. One body, the body of Hannah Grace comes in, and it is just brutalized. I’m talking deep cuts on the neck, the waist, and it was burned up. But then comes Megan unable to do her intake tasks – take pictures of the body and get fingerprints. As she attempts to do this, lights flicker, go out, and it’s all very peculiar. However, weird/peculiar turns to dangerous after someone breaks in and makes it seem there is more to Hannah than meets the eye.
Highlights
Shay Mitchell
After Mitchell’s performance in You, I had to see was that a one-time thing or could she consistently bring it? Well, considering this is a basic indie movie, of which she is usually alone on screen, I think she can bring it. Now, this doesn’t mean she should be in an Oscar-caliber drama. Though she has been working for around 10 years, arguably she hasn’t really hit her stride till now and while Pretty Little Liars put her on people’s radars, I’d argue You was a breakout role.
Past performances aside, what I enjoyed about Mitchell in this was the movie gave her character layers to play with. Though it could have used her trauma to make a much darker, far more interesting, movie, you have to appreciate what it did actually do. By mixing Megan adjusting to working the night shift, in a morgue, isolated in what looks like a psychopath’s basement there was a good creep factor for Mitchell to play in. Plus, if you missed the first ten or so minutes, you get a better film for now you’re left thinking this is all about Megan losing it rather than another demon possession movie.
However, even with not taking advantage of how this movie could have stood out, Mitchell shows she is not your usual scream queen. Yes, she does that dumb mess of checking out where that noise came from. But, with that cop background, and us seeing her whoop someone’s ass, you quickly forgive what could have been a trope. And, revisiting the misstep, what you have to truly appreciate is Mitchell giving us a character who wasn’t over the top. She tapped on that line a bit, but in terms of someone dealing with mental trauma, whose life bottomed out, I must admit her performance reminded me of Vanessa Hudgens in Gimme Shelter.
That is, you seeing someone who hasn’t really shown you much versatility proving she can work her craft. Pushing the idea modelesque looks, charisma, and remembering her lines isn’t all she has to offer. Not to imply this woman will get you crying but, with the right role, it could be possible.
Decent Jump Scares & Creepy Moments
Though there are only 5 good jump scares, none of which will make you leap out your seat, I appreciated that each had a certain creep factor to them. They weren’t built up in a way which made them all seem cheap and for a quick bang. For when I tell you Hannah may make your skin crawl at times, to the point of wondering if the theater got bed bugs, I’m not exaggerating. Just remembering certain scenes of watching joints and bones pop makes me feel like I got spiders crawling on me.
On The Fence
More Could Have Been Done With The Story
What frustrated the hell out of me is that, if this movie didn’t begin with Hannah’s exorcism, it could have given this a psychological horror edge. As noted, Megan is recovering from being an addict, dealing with trauma, and is given a job that has her isolated from 11PM to 7AM – in a basement surrounded by dead people. If this film cut the exorcism and enhanced Megan getting stir crazy and being traumatized by seeing dead people all night, this could have been better than it was. Just with a few changed and cuts.
Overall: Mixed (Divisive) | Purchase Or Rent On (Fandango/ Amazon)
This is the kind of film you could see the potential of, but because it wanted to follow trend, rather than explore a new path, it faltered. Yet, with decent jump scares and the way Megan was performed and crafted, that is why this is being labeled mixed. I wouldn’t say this is a movie to pay full price to see, but if you got nothing better to do and wanna see a matinee, or your local theater got a ticket special, this might be worth checking out.
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