A Chilling Take on the Morgue Horror Subgenre. Diederik Van Rooijen directed and released The Possession of Hannah Grace in 2018, casting Shay Mitchell as Megan Reed, a recovering addict and a morgue attendant. She works at the hospital morgue during the graveyard shift. It opens with an exorcism of one of the protagonists, Hannah Grace, who is killed; this is the opposite of what a narrative usually builds to in the genre. It gives us a glimpse of what Megan’s life looks like, and how unnerving things get post-Hannah’s arrival at the morgue.
Summary of Accomplishments
Atmosphere and Setting: The shrouded and dim environment of the morgue adds to the feeling of entrapment, fear, as well as Megan’s growing isolation. The confined space coupled with the film’s sparse cast, claustrophobic setting envelops everything and makes the audience feel as if they are with the protagonist.
Special Effects and Make-up: Practical effects and makeup work are emphasized through Hannah’s corpse as her sickly twisted limbs and awe-inspiring glances serve to both frighten the viewer and the characters. In this regard, the production team did an excellent job.
Performance: The exorcism parts of the story are remarkable, but the actress Shay Mitchell deserves praise as well since her performance as Megan is heart chilling. She evokes pity, sympathy, and anxiety all at once as one grows to care about her past and the way she is tormented by ghosts around.
As Hannah, Kirby Johnson’s performance stands out as quite impressive, especially her physical horror elements as a contortionist.
Pacing: The film does not go over 90 minutes and maintains a brisk pace, rarely dwelling too long on any one scene. This is helpful for the suspense.
Where It Falls Short
Predictability: The film does have a unique setup, but it relies on classic horror elements as the film goes on. Many of the frightening moments avoid creative horror for jump scares and tired, repetitive sequences which are overused in the genre and can be boring for veteran horror fans.
Story and Ending: Although the premise is interesting, the plot does not develop its themes or characters. The ending feels particularly rushed and ultimately the film feels like it squandered its potential.
Critical Reception: Critics have been reporting a mixed to negative response as the film suffered a lack of emotional depth and originality. Some found it ‘colorless’ without charm while others acknowledged the technical merits and criticized its dull narrative.
Why is it trending now?
The Possession of Hannah Grace has seen a resurgence of interest, likely due to the film being available on popular streaming platforms alongside a renewed interest in supernatural horror.
It has been reignited with debates surrounding its merits and flaws, with some viewers even revisiting it as an underrated contribution to the possession subgenre. One distinct characteristic that sets the film apart from others is its recent approach of starting with an exorcism instead of building towards it, which piques the interest of genre fans.
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Conclusion
Even though The Possession of Hannah Grace does not offer anything new to the horror landscape, the film is a creepy, immersive experience, especially for fans of practical effects and scares set in a morgue. The film’s newfound buzz can be linked to streaming availability and the heightened interest in supernatural thrillers. At the same time, viewers need to adjust their expectations regarding originality and narrative complexity because the film does excel in atmosphere but lacks ingenuity.
Writer : Pranjal Bapna