Official synopsis
A missionary family travels to rural Ecuador to convert the indigenous population. All is going well until their son ventures into a forbidden local cave and comes back with a demonic spirit in tow. Candice (Sara Canning) believes that an exorcism in the Catholic tradition will free her boy from the evil bonds that bind him. The local shamans know that this spirit is older than her religion and must be dealt with or the demon will take them all.
Review
Folk horror meets possession horror in director Antonio Negret’s Ecuador/U.S. coproduction Shaman. Catechism and English teacher Candice (Sara Canning), her husband Joel (Daniel Gillies), and their preteen son Elliot (Jett Klyne) have moved from America to a rural Ecuadorian village as missionaries. Father Meyer (Alejandro Fajardo) baptizes the poverty-stricken locals while Candice and Joel help the people by serving hot food and providing general support.
After initial introductions to the main characters that include a chin-rubbing seduction scene between Candice and Joel, supernatural occurrences slowly settle in as Elliot enters a cave for the second time that he has been warned not to go inside.
Although Daniel Negret’s screenplay attempts to insert Ecuadorian folk religion into the mix, the story largely relies on exorcism film tropes with which seasoned fright-fare aficionados will be quite familiar. The CGI effects on display don’t help escalate the standard proceedings, either. Although the direction is well paced throughout, and not wanting to give too much away, the third act goes from slightly questionable with its stylistic choices to rather unexpected places.
The strongest point of Shaman is the solid acting from the entire cast. Canning is a standout, giving an excellent performance as a desperate mother trying to save her son.
Although Shaman holds few surprises, it is an overall entertaining watch throughout. Devotees of possession horror and religious horror cinema especially should find it well worth their time.
Shaman debuted on Blu-ray™ and DVD exclusively through Amazon® on October 7, 2025 from Well Go USA Entertainment.
