Spell (2020)

A man crash lands in rural Appalachia and awakens in the attic of a traditional Hoodoo practitioner. He desperately tries to break free from her dark magic and save his family from a sinister ritual before the rise of the blood moon.

Director:

Mark Tonderai

Writer:

Kurt Wimmer

Stars:

Omari Hardwick, Loretta Devine, Lorraine Burroughs

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Omari Hardwick	...	Marquis T. Woods
Loretta Devine	...	Eloise
Lorraine Burroughs	...	Veora Woods
Hannah Gonera	...	Samsara Woods
Kalifa Burton	...	Tydon Woods
John Beasley	...	Earl
Tumisho Masha	...	Sheriff
Steve Mululu	...	Lewis
Peter Butler	...	Dr. Holt
Andre Jacobs	...	Wyman Thatcher (as André Jacobs)
Leo Wringer	...	Elderly Man at Gas Station
Tafara Nyatsanza	...	Young Man at Gas Station
Doctor Khasu-Nkatlo	...	Loretta (as Doctor Khasu-Kanku)
Chris April	...	Julius
Tiffany von Willingh	...	News Channel Reader

Storyline

While flying to his father's funeral in rural Appalachia, an intense storm causes Marquis (Omari Hardwick) to lose control of the plane carrying him and his family. He awakens wounded, alone and trapped in Ms. Eloise's (Loretta Devine) attic, who claims she can nurse him back to health with the Boogity, a Hoodoo figure she has made from his blood and skin. Unable to call for help, Marquis desperately tries to outwit and break free from her dark magic and save his family from a sinister ritual before the rise of the blood moon.

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Plot Keywords:

nurse | supernatural horror | 

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Genres:

Horror | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence, disturbing/bloody images, and language

Did You Know?

Goofs

At 14:20 Veora Woods tells her son Tydon to "get his sorry ass back in that plane"

In the scene are the those 2, the aircraft, and the ladder the son brought out to get up on the wing and fuel the aircraft.

In the very next scene Marquis Woods walks up to the plane and the ladder is gone.

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Quotes

Young Man at Gas Station: Slavery is over, pump your own damn gas

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Soundtracks

Eloise's Lament
Written by Ben Onono
Performed by Loretta Devine

User Reviews

It was a lot of fun

'Spell' is just 90 minutes of pure schlocky b-movie fun. They introduced some basic story elements at the beginning of the film, and I thought that this was going to be a basic occult horror film, probably mixed with psychological elements. But it's not.

At some point, they just drop the common sense and start having fun. If you're not new to movies you will catch the ending very fast, since the main lead literally explains the plot talking to the viewer (I was wondering why he wasn't looking at the camera). So you're just expecting more random and bizarre stuff to happen, and they deliver.

At times, the film felt more like a cheesy horror game but without jumpscares, the superhuman main character, zero realism, and people were driven not by motivation but by video game rules. Other times it felt like a weird combination of a horror-comedy, revenge film, Rambo sequel, and an 80ties TV-show.

I can't say I'd like to recommend this film, but if you love cheesy b-movie fun, gore, and intentional overacting (and you are prepared to switch-off your brain for 90 minutes) - you can give it a try. I can promise you - you will laugh a lot.

But if you try to take this seriously as a suspenseful occult horror film this clearly won't end up making your day better.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 October 2020 (USA)

Also Known As:

Spell

Filming Locations:

Cape Town, South Africa

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$206,591, 1 November 2020

Gross USA:

$500,104

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$500,104

Company Credits

Production Co:

LINK Entertainment, MC8 Entertainment, Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1