Possession Archives | Otaku No Culture

Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, Please My Lord, Don’t Let The Soul Reaper Come to Keep

Although Soul Reaper treads on familiar territory, the fact it includes some Indonesian folklore into the mix makes it worth the watch.

Well GO USA
Coming to Digital June 17

When Soul Reaper wants to catch the attention of horror fans, it needs more than just scares—it delivers something fresh by weaving Indonesian folklore into the story. When Respati’s family comes under threat, the teen (Devano Danendra) has to act. Though nightmares haunt him frequently, these visions mean more than just bad dreams—they carry real warnings.

Respati isn’t the only one struggling with sleep. A dark force haunts a group of kids, putting them all at risk. The premise may remind some of Nightmare on Elm Street, and that’s no coincidence—the film draws inspiration from the real-life phenomenon “Sudden Unexplained Nocturnal Death Syndrome” (SUNDS), reported in this region.

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In South Korea’s Cinema Scene, A Devils Stay is Always Welcome

When the soul of a child is at stake, just who can save the day in Devils Stay will depend on whose faith is stronger!

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Available to Purchase or Stream on Amazon Prime

South Korea’s preoccupation with saving souls from demonic possession seems to be on the rise. After viewing Devils Stay, I had to consider whether this movie directed by Moon-Sub Hyun is even better than past well-known films like The Priests, Exuma and Dark Nuns.

The better developed films are those that concern a parent looking out for their child, like in The Exorcist. Second on the list is when cultural rather than spiritual beliefs are challenged. Third is coming up with a scenario that hasn’t been done before. In this film’s case, the incident occurred during a medical transplant. Although the latter film I named attempted to mix in a bit of folk, this one seems more concerned about what current faiths can do.

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Dark Nuns, A South Korean Moody Thriller Done Right!

Although not comparable to The Dark Knight, the themes are familiar, as Dark Nuns concern members from the sisterhood becoming vigilantes to take on evil when the priesthood has other ideas!

Dark Nuns Movie Poster Well GO USA Well GO USA
Release Date: Feb 7, 2025 at select theatres

The danger of getting possessed by a malicious spirit is very real in Dark Nuns (검은 수다들). When it’s set in South Korea, there’s the additional consideration concerning where this evil came from. Even Sister Junia (Song Hye-kyo) doubts her ability to figure out who this demon is, and save Hee-joon (Moon Woo-jin). It’s great when this film wastes no time to build to this moment, and when fellow nun Michaela (Jeon Yeo-been) wants to help and has no prior experience, that’s a formula that even has me intrigued.

If that’s not enough, there’s even a look at the psychological type of problems this lead has to face. As further complications pile up, not only does Junia face opposition at the convent, but also there’s the medical community who doesn’t believe demonic possession is a thing. When the latter believes the boy’s condition is mental degradation rather than spiritual, to enact a cure will be tough!

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When A Late Night With the Devil Leads to Disastrous Consequences…

The problem with Late Night with the Devil is that it left me bored. I was able to go to sleep afterwards, dreaming of communicating with the unholy and asking if they can do me a favour….

Spoiler Alert

The difference between Late Night with the Devil and Ghostwatch is that the former film hides Jack Delroy’s (David Dastmalchia) past from viewers to later be shocked by. Although both concerns live coverage about why a young teenage girl is haunted, and as for who controls whom, that depends on who is her keeper. Also, the question of broadcasting this look into what goes bump in the night may cause more harm than good. What’s being played out is like That’s Incredible! I had that reality TV show and Johnny Carson in the back of my mind while watching this film.

While this latest effort is firmly rooted into recreating the look of the 70s, it rarely delved into why this era was ripe for events to happen like the Satanic panic. There are quick references to certain trends–namely the influence of The Exorcist and The Omen–and without that added gravitas, this film doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb. Without these particular references, I thought Cameron and Colin Cairnes‘ movie didn’t fully hit its mark. I’d give this film a low grade more than anything else. The British film really does it better, because it keeps you invested through various characters, especially Craig Charles!

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We Want to Believe’s The Doll House and Where No Man Has Gone Before

In this episode of We Want to Believe, the team investigates The Doll House and esplores where no man has gone before.

PART TWO DUE EARLY DECEMBER

From Annabelle to Chucky to Robert the doll, the producers in the horror film industry loves them! Add a patina to an old figure, and somehow, they just become creepier. I’m ready to walk the other way. As for answering the question if they are truly haunted, I imagine Joblo.com‘s latest instalment of We Want to Believe will get to a solution in part two of the Doll House Investigation, due out in early December.

The episode gets to show Peter Renn talking about his years of investigating one particular manor, Baillie House. The heritage society owns this property and allows groups to come in to document the strange goings on.

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