The Incantation (2018) User Reviews

Save Yourself the Pain

[larrys3 · 2/10 · 25 July 2018]

Unfortunately, I found very little to like in this horror flick. With terribly flat dialogue and acting, plus a storyline that seems to have been cobbled together from so many other horror films, it's even below B-movie quality, in my opinion.

Sam Valentine portrays the beautiful Lucy a flighty but intrepid young American woman who has traveled to France for the funeral of her great-uncle the Count Rose du Sang, at the creepy Castle Borley. Will she succumb to the devil-worshipping clan that resides there or will she break free of her family tradition that may have destined her to join them?

Since the ending was so convoluted, to me at least, I have no idea what actually happened. Maybe, you'll be able to figure it out.

I would say save yourself the pain and pass on this mess of a movie.

Man of stool plumbs the depths of crappiness

[troy-boulton · 2/10 · 20 September 2018]

My how the mighty have fallen. Dean Cain, AKA Superman dreamboat of the 90s, must have been huffing kryptonite for the good part of a decade to have landed in this sub-mediocre pit of sloppy refuse. The acting is so limp and robotic that I'm convinced they spent 99% of the film's budget on SFX to edit out the scripts that must have been in the hands of the spaced-out junkie vagrants they filmed doing a first screen test read-through. The problem is they then had no budget to hire actual actors or production team after this exercise, and had to get an elementary school media class to salvage and cut together the film from the screen test footage. That would also explain the crappy sets, drab lighting and colour work, irritatingly slovenly timing and rhythm, and hollow emptiness that this film fills the space around it with. I gave it 100 minutes of my life, and it managed to drain a week I will never get back.

Bad acting...

[omendata · 3/10 · 14 January 2019]

Have to agree with the previous reviewer; the girl at the flower stall ... oh my.... It really is an exercise in amateur acting.

Never liked Dean Caine myself, his acting is not much better and every time I see his name or Casper Van Has Been I know pretty much the movie is going to be of tv movie on a wet Sunday afternoon for bored housewives variety but this was considerably worse - what were they thinking???

The positives - the castle used was pretty amazing and there are some nice bits of photography, it used another old idea with nothing new and was actually quite funny if you take it as a comedy!

This was terrible.

[jonnr-72620 · 1/10 · 29 July 2018]

I do not understand how this movie was rated so highly. The dialogue is awful and for being in the countryside of France there are only 2 French people that kept falling out of the accent. Half the time I have no idea what is going on. This movie blew its entire budget on Dean Cain and when you are counting on him to carry your film, let me just say oops.

Oh, the horror!

[ohmanoid · 1/10 · 31 July 2018]

This is a great movie if you're blind, and don't understand english...

Dean Cain, WHY?!

[ivybustamante · 1/10 · 31 July 2018]

This film is terrible, to say the least. From start to finish you get the actress, acting so badly I would've passed this film as a school project. Why on earth did Dean Cain agree to star in this film?! He was the only person who acted. I'm sure he would've had other offers. Dear God...

Makes zero sense

[Nikar4 · 1/10 · 23 August 2018]

I usually only review movies I love. But this one was so bad I really felt I should warn others. I struggled through the bad acting, conflicting and confusing plot to find the end is without explanation. It is so there is no way you would even be able to fill in the blanks yourself.

Throughout we are given various tales of the history, though these do not seem to the in with the plot we are following. I kept waiting for answers hoping the end would clarify all. Nope, now I'm asking were the main characters real, were they ghosts? If they werent real the entire plot makes no sense. Was the lead crazy? Did she win? Did she lose? Was there a battle to win/ lose?

The acting is wooden, the story is confusing and conflicting. The writing is ridiculous. There are always a few moments in horror when you think no one would do that irl. This seems to be a constant theme for this film. I did kind of like the French gravedigger but no idea what his role was in the end!

Seriously give this a miss

It's a 'no' from me

[clairesmaybin · 1/10 · 3 August 2018]

It's a B movie. I knew that and I often like B movies - sometimes they surprise you. There's a brief surprise at the end that took all of a second to register and then it was " of course". So not really a surprise at all. Really bad acting, although I wasn't sure if this was deliberate on the part of the director - certainly I've seen Dean Cain do better. So I'm not sure what the director was going for. But the whole thing was a mess, including the 'story' line.

Slow, boring, horrible acting

[mikedegroot · 2/10 · 2 August 2018]

There is nothing to see here folks. It's really, really lame. I'm okay with B movies, especially cheesy horror movies, but this one is just very bad. When Dean Cain is by far the best actor you have in the movie, you know it's not going to be good. This film has some of the worst acting that I have seen in years. I won't spoil it for you, because there is really nothing to spoil. Incredibly boring and pointless.

Santa Lucia and the Black Mass

[lavatch · 1/10 · 27 July 2018]

Lucy Bellerose has a special destiny in the Old World. This film is about her discovery of what lies ahead in the legacy she has sensed all along as a little girl. When the young American woman arrives at a picturesque chateau of her deceased ancestor in France, she now is prepared to claim her birthright.

But the film makes an enormous mess of this interesting premise. The pace is sluggish, and the script is muddied, especially in the final stretch. A likeable actress plays the role of Lucy. But most of the time, it seems like a one-character film, as Lucy wanders the premises and the halls of Castle Borley.

Everything is prepared for Lucy to be part of the incantation that takes the form of a black mass. The three henchmen who serve the devil are the strange Vicar of Borley, the wacky insurance salesman, and the maid Mary. Those three characters have paved the way for Lucy to take her immortal role in the Castle Borley. But she must complete the ritual sacrifice of stabbing a young girl after completing the devil's mock ceremony of the eucharist.

SPOILER ALERT ONE: But who does Lucy stab? Is it the young sacrificial lamb of a young girl? The Victor of Borley? The burly French boyfriend Jean-Pierre? Or does she actually stab herself? This sequence is totally unclear and confusing.

SPOILER ALERT TWO: But nothing compares to the ending scene that occurs as the final credits are rolling. With Lucy dying along the road, an antiquated French ambulance arrives, and it appears that Lucy is pronounced dead. But, no! She suddenly revives! And as the doctor listens to his stethoscope, he exclaims, "Elle est enceinte!" But in the film's subtitles, there was no translation for non-French speakers that the doctor said, "She is pregnant!"

This film is just about as bad as they can get.

I dug it. Hope you dig it, too.

[jacobdennert · 8/10 · 10 August 2018]

Personally, I enjoyed the film. I found it entertaining. One of the things that keeps me from watching too many movies in the horror genre is that so many of them seem to overdo the efforts to shock you; to try and get you to jump. I didn't think that was overdone at all, here, which was nice.

Who this isn't for:

If you're a movie snob and you're oblivious to the fact that independent filmmakers aren't blessed with bottomless budgets, you might be a little disappointed with this one... but that's okay. Just don't go into it all ignorant and expect this to go toe-to-toe with movies that occupy theater space for months on end.

Having said that...

If you're like me and you appreciate independent filmmakers - and you're in "entertain me" mode, sit back and enjoy the show.

(The Incantation *has* won more than one Indie award. 'Nuff said.)

Hope you dig it.

A good watch

[life-of-hapiness · 7/10 · 16 July 2018]

Although this film was not what I personally expected it to be I was glad to have seen this and it did keep me entertained throughout. It did feel like an independent movie however for this it was really well shot. I did find that the acting was rather bland at times and that there was not enough horror within the movie for me but overall a really good watch and a film I would watch again!

This Movie Is Painful

[maiakoz · 1/10 · 24 March 2019]

This "flick" offers nothing for the viewer - the dialogue is weak, the accents are forced, and the acting is - horrible. The camera replaces the inherent beauty of the scenery with a dull, flat landscape, making it look more like a washed out portrait of an old, dried out postcard. Trust me, the camera on your cellphone takes better pictures than this, so you have to question the eye of the director, who for some reason saw this as "cinema worthy." But if you read his bio, you'll see just how highly he sees himself in light of all his "accomplishments.'

Five minutes into the story, you're already picking out the bad parts - which are plenty,- convinced that anything good in this film was purely by accident, which brings me to the appearance of the only known actor in the mess - Dean Cain.

Look, Cain isn't an "Actors' actor" by any stretch of the imagination, but he does have the capability and the credibility of holding his own, be that in a film or the television screen. Which is why you'll spend less time watching the movie and more time trying to figure out why Cain is in it. Note: This is a blessing as it distracts from the bad acting, bad scenery, bad direction- bad everything. And so, here are the possible reasons we've come up with to answer the question:

1. He's related to the director by birth 2. He's related to the director by marriage 3. He's related to the director by a debt he owes to the mob 4. He's related to the director by a secret relationship between them that could involve anything from animal incest to possibly reviving his role as Superman 5. He's the father, godparent, benefactor, sugar daddy of the main character. 6. The main character is aware of the connection between him and the director, which guarantees her a role for life - or until the mob intervenes 7. He was offered an all-expense paid trip to Paris. For the sake of brevity, go with the last reason, as the former ones - though much more interesting, are more likely considered while under the influence. You already know the different themes within 98 minute directorial mental snuff film, but to recap - gothic, supernatural, religious, tradition, yadda, yadda, yadda - It's still one, big mess. Go watch "Dark Shadows." At least the scenery will give you something to appreciate on a budget much less than what this "Vicar/director" put out.

Dark sins

[TheLittleSongbird · 1/10 · 6 October 2018]

'The Incantation' really intrigued me, with a creepy poster/cover, a quite interesting if not exactly new premise and as someone with a general appreciation for the genre it fits under. That it was low-budget, which from frequent personal experience is rarely a good sign due to that there are so many poor ones out there (though there are decent to good ones as well), and having seen my fair share of lacklustre and less ones recently, made me though apprehensive.

It is sadly however yet another film seen recently, hence some reiteration because the exact same strengths and flaws present in those films are here, that to me was incredibly disappointing considering its potential which it doesn't do anywhere near enough with. 'The Incantation' is really quite awful, with so many huge flaws and doesn't do anything with any potential it had. There is nothing good here in 'The Incantation', amateur hour all round.

Going on to the negatives, the story does feel over-stretched and some of it comes over as vague and under-explained in the last third where the film especially became duller, more predictable, more senseless and less unsettled and never gaining momentum. All the characters are too sketchy and with cardboard thin and colourless personalities and with nowhere near enough to make one want to endear to them. Their annoying and illogical decision making and behaviours frustrates. The chemistry is bland and unfocused.

The sound quality is obvious and utilised cheaply (being too loud in the build ups and people's reactions), the effects are shoddy and nearly all of the acting is lacking severely on the whole, that's actually an understatement as the worst of it is horrendous and the film manages to bring the worst out of Dean Cain who tends to be watchable. There is no sense of horror or engagement with the awful predicament they're in, and no connecting with the character, it just reeks of indifference and complete blankness which makes the viewer not care less too.

Dialogue can be stilted and rambling while the pace and film drags on forever, apparent from the very start, never recovering that interest is lost fast. The final third is stupid beyond belief and the ending is far too convoluted to make sense of. Found too many of the supposedly shocking moments not surprising or scary and the atmosphere dreary, due to the excessive obviousness, a lot of dumb and vague moments and explanations and the lack of tension and suspense. Thrills are none, thanks to stodginess and excessive over-familiarity, and found myself never invested in the drama, which tended to be indifferently acted, interminably paced and statically directed.

A lot of 'The Incantation' has really dull and going nowhere plot elements and often nonsensical and confusing character motivations, while too many of the things to make you shocked are far from creative or unsettling. It all feels rather tame while the threat completely lacks menace and looks terrible.

Nothing freaky or interesting, no development and too derivative, while everything is unimaginative and are more odd than scary, completely failing to show any sense of dread. There is nothing interesting or illuminating with what the film was trying to do and the drama is overwrought with no momentum and a lot of weirdness. The direction is barely there and disorganised and the music is ill-fitting. 'The Incantation' is poorly made visually, too drearily lit and the camera work is one of the film's biggest flaws in fact, the worst of it an eyesore.

Overall, terrible. 1/10 Bethany Cox

Horror List

[twelve-house-books · 1/10 · 1 October 2018]

Director's Notes: [[1. Sinister cleric. 2. Pretty naive girl (who vomits) 3. Antistereotypical French country boy (to give it some verve, and who also vomits) 4. Haunted House/Castle 5. Weird locals 6. car crash (for effect) 7. little ghost girl 8. odd salesman/stranger 9. creepy house maid 10. attic with old chest filled with grimoires of black magic]] Score! I have all of the necessary elements, I think, now roll camera!

Negative 100 stars out of 10

They are reading lines

[wisblur · 2/10 · 15 October 2018]

LOL. Is this a movie or a bunch of people reading lines?

Crap

[vmalast · 1/10 · 2 December 2018]

I can't believe that anyone could link Hammer films, Rosemary's Baby and classic actors like Vincent Price anywhere near this film! The cinematography was good but, nothing else. The "acting" was Z grade, writing and directing well below a b film. Just awful. The only way this could get above a 2 rating is by paying the reviewer, the actors and friends and family to write those "wonderful" reviews. Go see a kindergarten play, it would be better.

Idiotic

[africe · 1/10 · 7 December 2019]

Worst movie in a long time. How the hell does a terrible actor like dean cain still get parts? Dude cannot act! The ending is the dumbest thing to hit the screen. One suffers thru this horrible "movie" only to have the ending at a total loss. Unless you understand french, and I don't, the ending is a waste. Thumbs down to the writers and producers. 👹

Life's Too Short

[tcarroll-23092 · 2/10 · 20 December 2018]

Couldn't take it. Dean Cain should've been my first clue. What garbage. Don't waste your time unless you've got too much to spare.

Worst Acting Ever

[cjstanford-65097 · 4/10 · 25 August 2022]

A common horror story plot with admirable production quality. But the worst acting I've ever scene outside a high school project. With a plot full of family curses and unexplained longevity and wealth, it seems the true mystery is how did a film get a budget for professional level sound, photography, cinematography, set decoration etc with such atrocious acting. It's like the film is cursed and that's the real horror. Almost worth watching to witness the acting. I don't know if these are good performers doing a crap job, or just bad actors. See for yourself.

Well done!

[ernanparedes · 8/10 · 8 August 2018]

So here is the thing. I'm not into movies that are horror/suspense much but this one was fun!

From the music and scenery (spot on) to the "Sorry Miss America" scene. THANK YOU FOR NOT MAKING IT TO DARK. My gosh, too many movies now a days are very poorly lit.

Of course the acting is going to be a bit rough around the edges but it's charming!

The ending actually surprised me. I didn't see that coming and more often than not, I usually guess what happens even before the movie hits the halfway point.

Of course opinions will be different than mine but I find a sense in charm in all of this as well as the efforts and heart but into it.

An interesting first effort

[BandSAboutMovies · 6/10 · 15 July 2018]

Lucy Bellerose has come to the Loire Valley in France on vacation but has ended up inheriting a chateau that's inspired all manner of local legends and fears. What happens when a girl addicted to social media ends up confronting the unknown?

If we learned anything from Dan Brown ripping off Holy Blood, Holy Grail - or even better, the documentary The Otherworld - France is a crazy place, particularly the areas around Rennes-le-Château. This film concerns one such ancient place that has a past that the townspeople have been whispering about for some time.

Lucy (Sam Valentine, Someone Marry Barry, Followed) is mostly concerned with herself and making videos for her social media audience. I'm an old man, so I don't get the need to post videos and amass followers, but I tried to keep an open mind about our heroine (that said, she has a great monologue near the end about always cheering for the bad guy, making out with boys in cemeteries and wanting to see dead bodies in funerals).

The castle she's staying in has guests that she is to never meet or speak to, as well as some crazy ones that she has to deal with, like The Vicar of Borley (writer/director Jude S. Walko), who details the rules of the house and presides over the funeral for her great uncle, and Mary the chambermaid, who nonchalantly cleans up after Lucy, even when her sheets are covered with blood.

In the midst of all of this strides Dean Cain - of all people! - as Abel Baddon, an insurance salesman who knows way more about the castle, the area and Lucy than he is letting on. Just checking out his IMDB page shows that Dean's a working actor, appearing in a variety of films and genres. And if you've learned anything from my reviews, I do so love it when a major actor shows up in a genre film.

Lucy starts to fall in love with Jean-Pierre (Dylan Kellogg), a local boy who helps her explore the grounds and history of the gigantic home that she's inherited. Of course, that means exploring rooms that she isn't allowed to enter and following a flower girl covered in blood. And her inheritance is more than just having a great house filled with awesome lighting to take selfies in.

The locations for this film are amazing - the house and surrounding area offer so many vistas for the eerie nature of this film. There are plenty of drone shots, but you have to forgive the urge to feature so many views of the scenery.

I'll give the team behind this film credit - the movie looks great and the music is stellar. There are some issues with the story - I never felt concerned about the heroine's fate as I never grew to like her. But I really enjoyed seeing Dean Cain play a demonic character. I mean, the guy had to have sold his soul to get to keep his looks all these years. And when you factor in that he's the dude who took Brooke Shields' virginity, he definitely has some pact with some demon somewhere, right? And hey, any film that has the balls to end with such a shoutout to The Shining has to be admired (or admonished, but I'm writing this at 3 AM, so let's go with admired).

Contrasting the great performances from Valentine, Walko and Cain are some rough ones from people playing townsfolk. It's almost enough to take you out of the film. And hey - there's a bat attack and lots of corridors filled with black cloaked monks near the end, which are always buzzwords to get me into a film. I mean, how many movies are you going to get where Dean Cain force feeds communion to a girl? Here's your answer: exactly one.

What Did I Just Watch

[santurcedc · 1/10 · 20 October 2020]

This so called horror movie is awful and I am surprised Dean Cain would be in this type of low budget movie. How many leading men in a movie are overweight or fat? Jean-Pierre in this movie is fat without a toned body. Please don't waste your time or energy to watch this movie.

Worst Movie Ever

[rotini-52586 · 1/10 · 19 April 2020]

The Vicar of Borley should go back to working at Burger King....what a waste of flesh

Horror? It was a shameful mess.

[gnvvclark · 1/10 · 8 December 2018]

At first I thought this had to be a decent movie with Dean Cain. Fifteen minutes into the movie, I was almost sure this was a intended to be a comedy dressed as horror genre. Wrong on all counts.