There are those times when someone tells another person to ‘just go’ in a movie that it might be wiser to heed their advice than stick around to find out what might have prompted such a plea. Movies about possession are often popular since they deal with something that people are inherently afraid of even if they state that they don’t firmly believe in it. One of the reasons why possession is such a scary topic is that it’s supposed to operate under its own rules, but like many things that rest within the scope of the arcane and religious-based offerings that are given up to the audience, there are loopholes that can be worked in ways that one can’t always anticipate, and the idea of being possessed by anything, to be controlled and otherwise used to spread a message or something else is abhorrent to many that like to think of themselves as free-thinkers that aren’t in the mood to be influenced by anyone, or anything. When a woman goes looking for a way to reach and reconnect with her mother though, she finds more than she expected and is drawn into a world she didn’t know existed, and I’m not talking about the simulation in the trailer.
Many people enjoy what they believe is a firm grip on reality since the supernatural is hard to quantify or qualify given that much of it doesn’t adhere to the scientific rules that govern the reality that we know and cling to. That’s why the meeting between science and the supernatural is such a great idea for a movie because it’s bound to force two elements to meet in a way that doesn’t make a lot of sense to some people but doesn’t have to in order to tell a good story. Neill Blomkamp has already made it known that he can tell a gripping tale, but like any storyteller, the purpose isn’t always bound up in one tale, but in many. Demonic is yet another offering by the author to the audience that is meant to create the impression that there are many tales and many ways to tell them.
I’ve already said that possession is frightening and horrifying to many people, but I’ll double down on it and state that it’s absolutely repugnant because it’s a violation that isn’t bound to heal so easily, if at all, and is aimed at doing more than simply taking over a person’s body. In the movies, and as some would say in life as well, possession is the ravaging of the mind and the spirit that will leave an indelible mark on the individual and possibly never fully heal. It’s an act that exists on a level that people can’t see, but can definitely feel since it leaves a worse scar than any physical act ever could. And the thing about this story is that the daughter who is seeking her mother in the simulation that binds them is opening a door in a way that she doesn’t understand, a pathway to let the demon into the world, which is what religious figures and many stories would have us believe is what demons and devils tend to want.
One could read from religious texts and watch numerous movies dealing with possession and demons and devils, and it likely wouldn’t prepare them for Demonic or any other movie, since as I mentioned, many movies such as this are created in a way that defies anything that came before and seeks to find a new way to torment the characters. It wouldn’t be the first choice to believe that a simulation would be an allowable way to transfer the spirit of a demon from person to person or to allow a demon into the world through such a connection. But in these movies, one has to remember that the mere fact that such demons and devils have been around so long means that they should, by all rights, be smarter than the humans that are going up against them. This alone should be a reason to think that any human seeking to take on a demon should first be thinking that they’re screwed, and should start thinking of how to defeat the creature rather than just survive it.
All in all, this movie does look like it should be a decent one and should introduce a different way to transfer the madness that is a demonic presence from person to person. The whole story is still a bit difficult to see, but the gist of it is easy to guess when watching the trailer. Things are going to get dangerous rather quickly it would appear, but the movie is still going to move along at a moderate pace that might make the more horrific scenes feel like a payoff rather than a natural progression. It could be worth it though.
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