Review of The Possession of Michael King (2014) by Stako — 05 Sep 2014

So I was looking to waste some time, while watching this. I didn't expect to end up invested in it. It was meant to be background noise to a game of 'Tetris' or 'Puzzle Quest'. However, to my absolute surprise, this movie turned out to be one of the best horror movies I've seen this year.

This movie is both written and directed by one David Jung, who is known for absolutely nothing else. I can't seem to find some proper info on him, so I will consider 'The Possession of Michael King' to be his first official work. And he did a great job with it.

The movie is shot in the "found footage" style, but more in the sense of 'Afflicted', than 'Paranormal Activity'. It retains the "mockumentary" feeling (to which I give bonus points), without being afraid to show that the man behind the camera is competent at more than walking around, zooming, focusing and turning on Night Mode.

It is also very well written, offering a plot that is nicely intertwined within it's minor details. Also, a plot that ultimately escapes the haunting fatalism of the horror genre, which made the movie feel lighter, without sacrificing it's essence.

The movie is also directed very nicely. Weather this is his first movie or not, David Jung did a great and professional job. Some scenes have great ideas and look very cool, the overall atmosphere is on spot, and - hallelujah! - the movie contains proper usage of filters and camera effects.

The role of the titular Michael King was performed superbly by Shane Johnson, who I have never seen in anything before. To my surprise, he showed great acting promise and I do want to see him in another leading part. The rest of the cast weren't given much to work with, and remain unmemorable as far as this movie goes, but you probably can expect that from a movie with such a title.

The gripes I have with this movie are, ultimately, minor: a few cheap scares (one that was very premature!) and some very ugly special effects, but I choose to ignore these, the movie more than makes up for them. I liked it a lot and it's one of the better horror movies of recent time. The fact that it has a nicely intertwined plot, that is portrayed in a proper way, via good directing, shooting and acting, should provide a very welcomed amount of entertainment to every horror appreciator, and is enough for me to give my recommendation.

To sumerize:

While retaining some of the genre's most iconic cliches, this movie "strays" in all the right ways. Also, the overall plot is professionally intertwined - something we don't often see in modern horror. 'The Possession of Michael King' is a great movie that shows a lot of promise for the future work of both David Jung and Shane Johnson. Not only that, it is indeed a very good pick for the upcoming holidays, especially if you are in the mood for something fresh.