As a huge fan of the universe of Presence, horror and all paranormal phenomena, I could not help but reach for the latest title of the same director, especially in the Blu-ray version with additional content. The films, however, had little in common, except for such obvious themes as mysterious, threatening noises or a door that opened by itself.
Brutality is not everything
While the cover advertises the film as “James Wan’s Film – the Director of Presence “, I’m not entirely sure why the reference was made. The horror of the Incarnation is based mainly on brutal, bloody scenes and phenomena that have little to do with paranormalism. The memory of Piła would be more appropriate, as its concept would fit more closely with the new film. Those who wanted to reach for the Incarnation in the hope of the suspenseful atmosphere known from the Presence, will unfortunately be severely disappointed.
Source: ipsnews.net
All at once
The movie starts off quite promising. Already in the first scenes, Wan shows us a bloody slaughterhouse and the first horror films – a mysterious hospital on the very edge of a cliff, resembling a dark castle, which as a result of tragic, brutal events is closed, and a moment later the squeaky floor, disturbed TV reception and a mysterious, terrifying figure. However, as they say: the further into the forest, the darker it becomes. The movie quickly becomes boring, at one point giving the impression of an action movie rather than a horror movie. It is worth mentioning here about the scene of one of the heroes chasing the murderer, which was accompanied by a shooting and spectacular parkour on the fire stairs.
Fear to be afraid
I watched the film on, hoping for a shocking twist that would change my feelings. The phrase did appear, but it was slightly grotesque. Although the plot actually made more sense at the time, the setting of the plot was simply comic. The incarnation also gives the viewer a considerable dose of serious issues of family ties, domestic violence and belonging.
“A new vision of horror”
A significant advantage of the edition that I had to review was the additional content with comments by James Wan about the process of creating the film and the stages of the plot. With his film, the director gives the viewer a horror movie straight from the 90s in a modern version, accompanied by impressive special effects. James Wan himself admits that it was important for him to create something completely new, to break with the story of the haunted house for original, previously unknown solutions. As promised, this movie actually breaks the genres. Whether this can be achieved in a positive or negative way is probably a matter of taste.
Our rating
Overall, this movie is good to watch for the experience alone. It may not be a gem of horror movies, but if we reach for it without much expectations, it is quite a good way to spend a free evening. It is worth supplementing the screening with additional content, thanks to which we can look at the film with a slightly friendlier eye, knowing the vision of James Wan behind it. Access to the director’s philosophy was the decisive reason why I rate the film 6/10.