A woman invoking the name of a vengeful spirit five times finds herself in a predicament when that entity embarks on a killing spree and refuses to leave. That premise calls to mind several similar themed urban legend-based horror movies, including a very prominent classic horror movie currently at the forefront of discussion thanks to an anticipated new entry on the immediate horizon. With Kandisha, filmmakers Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury (Inside, Livide, Among the Living) give their spin on the concept. While it doesn’t add anything new to the conversation, the filmmakers inject a supernatural slasher with their distinct brand of ultra-violent horror.
It’s summer. Teen friends Amélie (Mathilde Lamusse), Bintou (Suzy Bemba), and Morjana (Samarcande Saadi) spend their evenings hanging out in an abandoned building. They trade barbs, jokes, and stories while creating graffiti art on the walls. It’s in this building that Amélie uncovers the word “Kandisha” beneath peeling wall coverings, the name of a vengeful Moroccan spirit who slays men when summoned by saying her name aloud five times. That night, Amélie gets assaulted by her ex and invokes Kandisha in a moment of emotional duress. Her ex dies almost immediately after, but it’s only the beginning of the bizarre deaths plaguing the friends’ inner circle. Kandisha won’t stop until she’s completed her curse, or the girls can find a way to stop it.
While Bustillo and Maury don’t waste much time in the setup before unleashing their supernatural villainess upon a slew of unsuspecting teens, they make every scene count. Amélie, Bintou, and Morjana, and their friends and family by extension, lend a refreshing authenticity that retains interest. They make irrational choices that stem from the fearlessness of adolescence. Of course, the teens can be prone to bad decisions, and the filmmakers continue their streak of creating realistically flawed characters. However, through their family, the friends get more humanized and provide stakes.
As for the eponymous spirit, Kandisha doesn’t fare as strongly in the narrative department. Her urban legend is pretty straightforward and without much depth. It makes the obvious parallels to Candyman all the more pronounced. Bustillo and Maury compensate somewhat, at least, with an excellent design for their boogeyman. Kandisha’s a beguiling woman with goat hooves, and she grows a bit more monstrous the closer she gets to her goal. The varied stages offer visual interest.
The emotional stakes are vital here because Kandisha lacks in scares and tension. Even in obvious scenes meant to elicit a jolt, Bustillo and Maury can’t wring any suspense or anticipation from it. They do, however, bring the gore. The longer this spirit roams free, the more brutal and violent she gets. The kills are fantastic, leaving you wanting more despite knowing what that’ll cost the characters. Then again, if you’re familiar with the filmmakers, you know they’re unafraid to put their characters through the wringer in the most brutal way. One small mistake made in a moment of trauma causes irrevocable harm for all.
Kandisha borrows a bit too heavily from obvious influences to stand out in the long run. A lack of scares and a superficially rendered demoness doesn’t help. Still, Bustillo and Maury deliver authentic characters with rooting interest and nestle in sly social commentary. The deaths hurt in more ways than one. This supernatural slasher may not offer anything new, but it does keep you entertained thanks to its characters, a fantastic looking entity, and some bone-crushing, ultra-violent deaths.
Shudder summons Kandisha on July 22.
