Review of The Possession of Michael King (2014) by Filipeneto — 28 May 2020

Films based on situations of demonic possession are something that is so often seen that attempts to do something different, even if only in the details, sometimes fail. This is admittedly the same as a thousand other films we've seen.

The highly predictable script is based on the search by a recent widower for proofs of the existence of something beyond life, no matter what: God, the Devil, angels, souls, demons. What he looks for, in his attempt to deal with his grief and pain, is proof that makes him believe in something that he has difficulties to believe. To do so, he decides to film himself in a thousand and one situations: he invokes souls, spirits and demons, does magic and necromancy, goes to fortune tellers and mediums. It is a good starting point, although not entirely new. As the people say, those looking for it will find it. Of course, it is another "found footage" film where you can't miss that moment "if you found this video etc.".

Directed and written by David Jung, a notable stranger who never wrote or directed anything in cinema, the film stars Shane Johnson, a third-rate actor with a career in shorts and TV series, always discreet and far from spotlight. He does what he can, but the mediocre material he received in this film, which, until now, is the only one where he was the main actor, frustrates any attempt to go beyond average. It is an exaggerated, histrionic and noisy performance, which does not arouse the audience's sympathy and makes evident what will happen in the end. At a technical level, the film stands out for a dull and shaky cinematography, cold and gray colors, a warm environment that never scares even though it causes tension and discomfort and, still, mediocre visual and sound effects.

There are, however, some redeeming aspects to take into account: the first is that, despite the lack of originality, the story told is logical and entertaining, proving to be engaging enough to create a tense environment, which never scares but is also pleasant. The second is that, unlike most films, it shows a lot of rituals and phenomena linked to magic or the occult, being more plural in its approach to the supernatural. The third is that, unlike most films, where the character is inadvertently victimized by a spirit or demon, the character in this film seeks everything that happens to him and, afterwards, when he calls for help, he does not receive it for what we have never seen any kind of saving magic or exorcism. This is the greatest originality I have seen.