MOVIE FULL : Incantation Review: Horror Parenting Drama. Wanting to captivate with a found-footage horror style, Incantation inserts a parenting drama that should be more meaningful.
For some people, horror films that apply the found-footage shooting technique are still effective in delivering the horror. However, not many have tried to apply this technique to problems that arise in the real world, one of which is the issue of parenting . These two combinations seem to be applied by Kevin Ko in his latest film, 'Incantation' which is currently available on Netflix.
'Incantation' is a mockumentary horror film from director Kevin Ko whose script was also written by Chang Che-wei. The film itself centers on Li Ronan, a woman who has a dark past for violating a religious taboo. In the present, he also has to deal with a curse that also drags his only child.
The narration itself will take the audience into Li Ronan's everyday stories, most of which are taken from a handcam perspective to provide a mockumentary feel . This general premise is packed with back-and-forth storytelling patterns to make it seem less linear . However, the execution of the storytelling pattern is not smooth, it even interrupts pacing when telling stories.
The storytelling in 'Incantation' is interesting through the parenting drama that surrounds Li Ronan, Dodo, and the man who takes care of Dodo. It is these elements that actually make what Ronan does feel more alive and touching, although at some points it feels awkward because of the inconsistency with the equivalent of the real world version.
In building on its horror elements, 'Incantation' is displayed in a mockumentary -style shooting format through a found-footage style . Its use makes Kevin Ko's film easy to compare with various films with a similar formula, one of which is 'The Medium' some time ago.
Not only playing with a handcam , the film occasionally plays through a side camera, making it feel multi-perspective in bringing the story.
'Incantation' plays out its horrors through the presence of occult elements, making it still feel like an Asian film despite the lack of the presence of iconic ghosts and the appearance of a more minimal jumpscare . In addition, the horror is reinforced with various disgusting elements which will certainly provide its own horror, especially for those who have a phobia of things related to this film.
Technically, 'Incantation' is not the most luxurious horror film that Asian cinema has. However, his shooting technique and scoring game several times managed to increase the horror that wants to be shown throughout the film.
In the end, 'Incantation' seemed to want to experiment with occult horror which was displayed in a found-footage format like a mockumentary film . However, the presence of parenting drama in the midst of the onslaught of horrors makes this film more touching even though it can still be polished better.