Traumatika – Review and Summary
Traumatika is somewhere between being camp, corny, or perhaps a movie that owes everything to its marketing team.
Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.
Additionally, some images and text may include affiliate links, meaning we may earn a commission or receive products if you make a purchase.
“Traumatika” Film Details
- Runtime: 1 Hour(s) and 27 Minutes
- Released On: In Theaters
- Public Release Date: September 12, 2025
- Director(s): Pierre Tsigaridis
- Writer(s): Maxime Rancon, Pierre Tsigaridis
- Primary Language: English
- Genre(s): Crime, Fantasy, Horror
- Rating: Not Rated
- Distributor: Saban Films
- Official Site Link
Movie Summary
Almost 20 years ago, Alice’s (Emily Goss) older sister Abigail (Rebekah Kennedy) was staying with their father, John (Sean O’Bryan), not too long after their parents split up. Their dad got in possession of some ancient relic from Egypt, and despite being warned, he opened it up and released the demon Volpaazu (Maxime Rancon).
For the rest of the movie, we see this demon possess John, later Abigail, and have them do horrific things, including to a kid named Mikey (Ranen Navat), who ends up traumatized for life and is part of Alice’s book on what happened.
Review and Commentary
Highlight(s)
There Are Comical Moments [81/100]
Whether intentional or not, there are many comical moments due to delivery. The best example of this is when Sheriff Miller (AJ Bowen) answers a 9-1-1 call, early in the film, and is investigating John’s house. Abigail is being weird, kind of creepy, and you can tell the Sheriff isn’t for the nonsense, so Bowen’s delivery reflects that and can lead to some laughs. I even found myself snorting.
Then there is also Karen Novak (Susan Gayle Watts), who gives exploitative ’90s/’00s interviewer vibes. She also feels like the type of character who is funny, but you don’t know if it is because they were written to be that way or the actor played them that way to punch things up a bit.
Low Point(s)
You Get What They Were Trying To Do, But It Isn’t Often Executed Well [67/100]
It is understood that Traumatika is meant to be scary, hence the way it is marketed, the use of a demon, and how graphic it can be. However, it doesn’t succeed in being scary, even down to delivering very few jump scares. More often than not, it is just graphic due to people getting shot, stabbed, or looking mutilated. But if you are a fan of the horror genre, nothing here is going to shake you.
I’d submit, even if you are someone who just likes to get scared, or is willing to, Traumatika isn’t worth going out of your way to find a showing. It doesn’t do much to build up its central villain, the demon Volpaazu, and the multiple, decades-long time jumps don’t do it many favors regarding its narrative, and in terms of investment in the characters?
Yes, the Sheriff and Karen can be funny, but I wouldn’t say you’ll end up caring if they live or die. The same goes for Alice, Mikey, or even Abigail, despite what you see her go through. Again, outside of some potentially unintentional comedic scenes, Traumatika doesn’t deliver anything you’d expect or want out of a horror movie.
Overall
Our Rating (74/100): Mixed (Divisive)
While graphic and certainly some form of weird, Traumatika doesn’t deliver in what it promised to do most: Be so terrifying that you had to see it to believe it, because they were limited in what they could advertise. It’s just a graphic movie, featuring a rather bland demon, and at best, it can be praised for two supporting actors who push this film towards being seen as campy.
What To Check Out Next
Check out our movies page for our latest movie reviews and recommendations.
-
The Horror of Dolores Roach (2023): Season 1 – Summary and Review (with Spoilers)
“The Horror of Dolores Roach” boasts a great cast ready to bite into the show’s bloody premise, but its tone shifts into systemic problems and landing a second season ruin a potentially good single season.
-
The Nun – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)
Even if not a follower of The Conjuring Universe, The Nun will definitely help you understand the hype and definitely put you on edge a little bit.
-
Insidious: The Red Door (2023) – Movie Review and Summary (with Spoilers)
“Insidious: The Red Door” is a reminder of why it has been so refreshing for new horror movies to not only come out but also get a marketing budget so that you know they exist.
