Spell

Tonderai creates a rustic, moody atmosphere, but more importantly, he never lets his underlying message slip away.

I wish there had been more commentary on class and the sort of "city vs. rural folks," and maybe less of the gore that didn't really seem to achieve much purpose.

Has such a strong beginning, but winds up being a bit of a disappointment.

Another cheery woman holds another injured man hostage, with a dark magic twist, in this mesmerizing little film.

Omari Hardwick's and Loretta Devine's performances elevate this horror/suspense/thriller in ways the script may never have imagined. Devine, especially, steals scenes and makes her venomously evil character devilish beyond redemption.

Understatement is not in Spell's nature, as shown by one great, ghoulish visual gag of Marquis removing a nail that deliberately swoops over the line from grisly to gross to wonderfully absurd. This is OTT cinema, and fun because of it.

What at first appears to be voodoo version of Stephen King's Misery soon descends into a repetitive, by-the-numbers thriller with a clunky and contrived climax.

While Spell has an intriguing premise, it lacks a certain level of mystery, which hinders it from delivering the suspenseful story that was originally conveyed in the trailer.

Spell may be laden with cliches, but it's undeniably entertaining.

The film even has shades of Deliverance due to the cautionary tale of city people heading to the country. But ultimately, Spell feels more creepy, uncomfortable, and gross than downright terrifying.