A documentary crew looking for a story of a woman’s battle
with Alzheimer’s ends up getting something far more sinister. HORROR
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The Taking of Deborah Logan (2014)Directed by Adam Robitel
Written by Adam Robitel and Gavin Heffernan Starring Jill Larson, Anne Ramsey, Michelle Ang, Brett Gentile, Jeremy DeCarlos, Ryan Catrona, Tonya Bludsworth |
The Taking of Deborah Logan was not at all what I expected. It makes good use of its found footage structure, and delivers one of the most unsettling found footage films in years. The film is a very effective slow-burn that give its audience a mystery to solve, and genuine payoff in the end. Granted, it does imply that Alzheimer's makes people susceptible to possession and it has musical jump scares in a found footage setting (which I've always hated), but I think the performances and the extremely creepy tone throughout make everything work in the end.
We follow a documentary crew attempting to make a movie about the effects of Alzheimer's. Their subject is Deborah Logan (Larson), an elderly mother who is having a particularly bizarre reaction to her diagnosis. Her symptoms resemble those of someone possessed by a demonic entity, which is exactly what's going on. Turns out years ago, Deborah murdered a serial killer and once Deborah's brain was deteriorated enough, the killer's spirit took control of her body to finish enacting a ritual sacrifice to some pagan god. It's not where I thought we were going with this, but it's far more intriguing than the usual. The finale in the caves was terrifying, especially Deborah unhinging her jaw like a goddamned snake (Because the killer guy loved snakes). I have no issues spoiling this one since it's been out for seven years. I still think y'all should watch it because it's freaky, memorable, well-acted, and doesn't treat its audience like a bunch of toddlers. There's one character who straight up goes "Fuck this, I'm out,' and just leaves. A man after my own heart. This is gonna go down as one of the smartest found footage horror films ever made, as well as a definite cult favorite if it hasn't already. |
You know, found footage gets a really bad rap in the industry. To better explain what I mean, after the monster success which was Paranormal Activity, studios saw a whole bunch of dollar signs. Instead of the in your face, gritty films we were getting, now was the reign of the found footage horror film. With it came the bad reputation. See, instead of making quality films which pushed the limits of what this subgenre is capable of, we got cheap, lazy cash grabs from the studios which really turned people off. But, what people failed to realize was the very quality they were looking for was in the independent scene. The films which usually play at festivals and then go straight to a streaming service. Enter The Taking of Deborah Logan, one such film that finds a creative new angle to both found footage and exorcism films.
The plot is simple enough. A documentary crew wants to interview a woman afflicted with Alzheimer’s and see how this has affected her and her family. This being a horror film, they quickly realize they are in for much more than they bargained for. This also happens to be where a lot of the smartness comes into play. And by that, I mean the actual using of brains we watch our characters use. While there are still some dumb horror movie character moments here and there, for the most, they are actually a pretty savvy bunch. There’s one scene in particular that had me damn near clapping since it’s exactly what I would have done in the situation. The director also does a tremendous job of slowly revealing the true nature of what’s happening. Again, adding to the uniqueness of this film for me. I also have to give Jill Larson praise as Deborah Logan. She pulls off a performance which is both tragic and frightening. The Taking of Deborah Logan is another case of another good horror film not being seen by enough people. Fortunately, like most films of its ilk, it has gained a strong, positive word of mouth and gained a lot more attention in the horror scene recently. And, while Adam Robitel has gone on to do bigger budgeted horror films, I hope to return to this smaller scale style one day. |