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by Thomas M. Sipos,
managing editor [October 10, 2021]
[HollywoodInvestigator.com]The Old
Ways follows an economic model common to low-budget horror
films. Tell a story with a small group of actors in a single location.
In this case, a house in the Mexican jungle (The Old Ways was shot in
California and Puerto Rico.) Most of the film was shot in one
room. And apart from a few bit
players and extras, only four characters have significant roles.
Despite these constraints, the tale is
well told. Writer Marcos Gabriel wisely does away with exposition and
introductory chit-chat, plunging us straight into the story. After the
opening credits, we see Cristina (Brigitte Kali Canales) inside a
room, chained to the floor, with a sack over her head. We quickly
learn that she is an American reporter of Mexican heritage who came
looking for a story, and has apparently been kidnapped.
Cristina thinks her captors want money.
But no. One of her captors is her cousin, Miranda (Andrea Cortes), who
believes that Cristina is demon possessed. The other two captors are a
local bruja (witch) named Luz (Julia Vera) and her son Javi
(Sal Lopez). Together, they intend to exorcise the demon.
The Old
Ways's opening evokes
Saw. A victim chained in a decrepit room, awaiting torture. At
first it looks like Cristina is being held by lunatics who will
torment her with their bizarre rituals. But this being a horror film,
I suspected that maybe the normal appearing Cristina was in fact
possessed. The first clue was her drug habit. And indeed, before the
film's midway point, it becomes apparent that she is.
What follows is a standard exorcism
film. Yes, there are variations. Instead of a Catholic priest, we have
a Santeria type bruja. But there are the usual special
effects. Demonic forces and white magic portrayed as smoke, sparks, or
colored mist. We have the bodily contortions of the possessed. The
burn marks on an arm that has been touched by a demon. We even see the
demon as a dull red liquid in the whites of the victims' eyes, much
like the alien black oil in
The X-Files. And while the Mexican locale is nice, Latin
possession stories are not particularly new (e.g.,
The Possession of Joel Delaney). So, not many points for
originality.
Yet while
The Old Ways drags midway through, it's never completely
boring. This is because the characters are well-crafted and
interesting, so
we care about their plight. They anchor our interest. All four
lead actors do an excellent job (and two of them are young pretty
actresses -- always a plus!). The visual effects are well done, if
unoriginal. The psychic surgery is well done and nicely gross. And
despite the usual elements common to tales of demonic possession and
Third World voodoo, still, there are some surprises.
Hardcore horror fans will not find
The Old Ways particularly
distinctive, but it's an enjoyable and well crafted horror film.
Directed by Christopher Alender.
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