03 November, 2014

20. The Taking of Deborah Logan


I saw this film on Netflix on November 1st. This film was released on October 21st, a Tuesday, which means that it was a direct to dvd. Allegedly. I am putting it on this list because this film is the very definition of a hidden gem. It was produced by X-Men director Bryan Singer and not some unknown person. Usually with these types of films I issue a warning because there's so many of them that get released, you never what can be good or bad. Especially the "found footage" types.

Mia (Michelle Ang) is going for her PHD, she decides to make a documentary about Deborah Jill Larson), a woman with Alzheimer's. Mia is going to document Deborah's deteriorating mental state. Deborah is cared for by her daughter Sarah (Anne Ramsay) who lets the film crew into her home mostly because she needs the money. The crew is rounded out by sound guy Gavin and cameraman Luis. Things start off nice but then the weird stuff starts to happen. It slowly builds up and it comes to a head when Deborah starts to hurt herself.

Things get escalate from bad to worse and the weird sh*t keeps piling up and things get downright scary. Deborah's doctor can't explain it, and she goes through a battery of tests but nothing explains the behavior. Things get even more weird when Harris (Ryan Cutrona) starts getting a little too protective of Deborah. After a strange incident where Deborah's old switchboard mysteriously starts working after 30 years, the crew starts doing some digging and comes to find out that there were 4 murders committed by the town doctor who was never apprehended. After another trip to this hospital Deborah abducts a young girl with cancer and disappears with her but is found after a search.

It turns out that the four murders were part of a demonic sacrifice that was never completed and the demon (which will grant immortality) still needs a body. Harris frees Deborah from her restraints, and get attacked for his troubles and she abducts the girl again and takes off to the cave where the murders took place 30 years ago. The crew goes after Deborah and manages to bring the girl back safely after subduing Deborah.

This happened. Very creepy.

Deborah survives but she is in a completely vegetative state when she goes to trial for the murders she committed during the abduction. The film closes with an interview of the girl who survived the abduction and the cancer. At the end of the interview the girl gives the camera a look where maybe when Deborah tried to devour her, something transferred into her.

This was a low budget thriller that borrows heavily from films that have come before it. Derivative? You bet but what film isn't? Especially these types of horror films. This film is currently available on Netflix and I recommend and taking the 90 minutes out of your night and watching it if you're into these types of films. 

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