Fantasia 2015: Ava’s Possessions (2015) Movie Review

The small trend right now in Hollywood is to see what happens after the events. So far this practice has been relegated to the zombie genre, as in The Walking Dead and iZombie, just to name a couple, but it has now migrated to the demon/possession realm. Enter Ava’s Possessions.

Writer/director Jordan Galland asks the big question in Ava’s Possessions: after the demon has been excised, what happens to the poor soul who went out on a killing spree and laid anything with a pulse?

Therapy seems like an obvious answer, but a 12-step program called “Spirit Possession Anonymous” seems a bit hyperbolic. Yet, that’s the case in this horror/comedy. As is facing freaked out family and friends and/or possible jail time if you flunk out of your program.

The humor in Ava’s Possessions could have been played a number of ways, but the dark, deadpan delivery that it was feels like the perfect choice for the tone of the movie. Some of it, like the marks on her father and the eyepatch on her mother, was schlocky visuals, but for the most part the actors played things straight. And the in-your-face foreshadowing paid off in spades, but in case you missed the teasers throughout the movie, Galland reminded you of every instance. That little scene showing us the lead up to the “punch” might be the movie’s weakest point, and a little unnecessary.

The Verdict:

From start to finish, Ava’s Possessions delivered a killer story with tons of laughs. Following Ava as she uncovers what she did as a possessed being so she can work her program to make amends to the people she harmed was a rewarding ride. This is a highly recommended movie if you’re a fan of horror comedy.