Sad sackin’ Rebecca (Katherine Munroe) went and dicked around with ye olde spirit board, and now she is the subject of demonic static hounding her ass 24 fucking 7! Of course everyone thinks she’s a bullshit artist, so she sets up a webcam to document her descent into the possession biz.
Now things start prosaic enough; objects move around of their own accord, the telephone delivers the screams of the damned…shit my ass calls a Tuesday, but may be disturbing to boils n’ ghouls like you lot…anyway, Rebecca’s body soon starts degrading (courtesy of some solid make-up effects) as the evil within her grows…and wouldn’t you know it, she makes mistake numero uno and reads the fucking comments…so she has to deal with a shitty complexion and trolls; rough seas bro.
Of course things continue to escalate to the point where we have to ask: “Will Becky have the sack to survive this otherworldly visitation, or will we witness her complete transformation into Hell’s minion?”
The possession fright flick sub-genre is well-tread ghoulish ground, but it’s always been an enjoyable one for your’s cruelly, especially when filmmakers try and spice things up with a different take on things. To that end, I’m happy to report that Writer/Director Juan Frausto (along with Co-Writer Rich Wealthy) have delivered the grizzly goods with Possession Diaries!
Set mostly in one bedroom, and at times completely reliant on Rebecca’s webcam to show us the action at hand, Frausto creates a sense of mounting claustrophobia as the cheery environs become a prison as our heroine is confined to the location (of her own volition), and various entities…mortal and other…enter her chambers and attempt to control her fate. While doubtless a way to control the film’s budget, it nevertheless greatly contributes to the ambiance of the piece.
As for our protagonist; Munroe is more than up to the task of running the gamut from desperate pawn in the Devil’s game, to supernatural menace, and back again with equal aplomb and skill. This is her showcase, and she doesn’t disappoint!
As for the “negatives” (notice those quote marks my creeps), this is a slow burn affair (which you know I dig if the tension is there…and it definitely is in this picture…but your mileage may vary), and for those expecting a The Exorcist level special effects showcase, you will doubtless be disappointed…but as I mentioned up yonder, there are some solid subtle effects peppered throughout the runtime (and as a great touch, the face of Pazuzu itself, Eileen Dietz, makes a cameo).
If you love possession flicks, and want to see a fresh take on the material (on a low budget no less) give Possession Diaries a go…I’d wager it’ll well and truly satisfy your devilish desires!
