Usually when I feel like watching a movie I will look through the various streaming services I have access to and will peruse the show bill (movie poster), non spoiler reviews, and various opinions. If I see something visually appealing or my interest get’s piqued by the synopsis or even a cool title that’s usually enough to get me to sit down and give the film its chance. Problem is I have been doing that for so long now it’s all I end up doing for a couple of hours. After all that it’s still challenging to come across something that might pique my interest. When there are so many options stream wise to choose from it’s at times difficult to locate a movie that might be enjoyable. I have started many a movie just to stop watching it 10-20 minutes later either because things are moving along too slow, it’s completely uninteresting, or I’ve already seen it with the assumption that a particular movie is boring or contains subject matter that doesn’t interest me and I go back to another couple of hours of trying to find something to watch.
However, occasionally I will just want to watch a movie, will put something on with all but a cursory glance at title or movie cover art, and hope it might be something I enjoy.
Spell is a horror story about a family who takes a trip to Appalachia. A father’s death prompts the trip back to hillbilly heaven as there is land and effects to be resolved. Along with his wife and two kids, they hop in their Cessna family airplane and make way for the deep south. The hillbilly remark is to point out their environment and set the stage for the upcoming tropes as it doubles down and creates atmosphere. Not sure if its lazy writing but very quickly one understand exactly where the family is. Oh yeah, I’m from Chattahoochee County, Georgia, so not only can I say hillbilly, but I might be one 😉
As I prefer to write no spoiler reviews I will say this much. This movie turns out to be an intersting and horrifying (and fun) case of voodoo or hoodoo in the backcountry of Appalachia. I’ve never known about such things except for maybe if encountered in real life I’m sure could be a very horrifying experience, much like Spell is. I very much enjoyed this movie and it includes some small elements of body horror, but the thing I enjoyed most about Spell was the fact that it was about subject matter I have not seen in a while. If I recall correctly, this might even be one of those much movies I watched from beginning to end without any breaks.
So enjoy Spell if you get chance. I personally found it on the free streaming platform Pluto however it can be for free on other platforms. Spell was a welcome change up to the James Wan and all the zombie movies out and the fact I was able to see it for free was the cherry on top.
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