THE POSSESSION OF MICHAEL KING
(August 2014)
This is the world we live in today*: the only real found footage films** that should merit attention are those that A) prove to be something unprecedented within the genre, pushing the envelope, or tearing right through it, or B) are noteworthy examples of the genre’s “traditional” form.
This is the world we live in today*: the only real found footage films** that should merit attention are those that A) prove to be something unprecedented within the genre, pushing the envelope, or tearing right through it, or B) are noteworthy examples of the genre’s “traditional” form.
The Possession of
Michael King
(from director David Jung) falls squarely in the latter category. It doesn’t
have any ambitions of showing us anything particularly new. But, while it does
colour within the lines, the hues and shades are decidedly of a rather dark and
sinister persuasion, as compared to the bland palettes of the hordes of average
run-of-the-mill found footage films out there.
The
titular Michael King (Shane Johnson) makes a New Year’s resolution: he’s going
to make a documentary about his family, to show the world just how lucky and
blessed he is as a human being (even if, as he so pointedly admits very early
on in the film, he doesn’t believe in God).
But
tragedy strikes, and the documentary instead becomes one where Michael sets out
to prove once and for all whether the supernatural exists.
Unfortunately, his grief fuels his brazenness, and he unthinkingly calls out far more than
he bargained for…
Again,
though this is not a found footage game changer in any way, shape, or form,
there’s still some disturbing imagery in this one, and a notable performance by
Johnson.
(Though
you have to wonder why characters in these kinds of movies never seem to listen during the supernatural infodump
early in the running time; if they did, they’d realize everything that would
come in horrifyingly short order is all outlined right there…)
*
The fact is, we've been living in it for quite awhile now.
** Please note that this also goes for zombies on film, whether on the big screen or small...
** Please note that this also goes for zombies on film, whether on the big screen or small...
(The Possession of Michael King OS
courtesy of impawards.com)
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