The Spell

Apparently based on a true story - the screenplay was written with the assistance of Emma Whale, on whose experiences the film is based - The Spell is told for the most part in flashback with Jenny talking to a consultant psychiatrist from the mental hospital to which she has been admitted.  This particular shrink is the least convincing consultant psychiatrist in the entire world, coming across more like a concerned teacher than anyone with psychiatry qualifications.  He prompts Jenny to recount her past, greeting each revelation with such ridiculous platitudes as "How did that make you feel?" or "What happened next?" (cue next flashback scene).
 
Jenny had a pretty hard upbringing as the child of divorced parents, shuffled between the two when their partners got sick of her or she rebelled against them to the extent that she got a flat of her own just after her 16th birthday.  Sharing the flat with her boyfriend Rick, Jenny ends up cheating on him with her boss who is also mixed up in black magic with whole attic devoted to the dark arts.  Rick ends up seeking comfort with Kate who, would you believe it, is a witch.
 
Desperate to win Jenny back, Rick allows Kate to cast a spell on her which will make Jenny go back to him as long as she goes to the woods that night where Kate has arranged for a full gathering with the high priestess.  That night, Jenny's room shakes, a painting floats and some toiletries levitate and she is convinced that a demon has possessed her.  Rather than going along with Rick's plan, she decides to spend the night with a friend and goes to a church the next morning where she asks the priest for an exorcism!
 

Weird things continue to happen and she is eventually admitted to a mental hospital where she seeks solace in the power of prayer.
 
Written and directed by Owen Carey Jones (who was also the producer and editor), The Spell screams low budget and is clearly made by someone who has seen a lot of horror films, has lots of ideas and wants to use them all but isn't quite sure how.  You therefore get elements of The Exorcist, Rosemary's Baby, The Amityville Horror, The Craft and many more but the film has all the tension and dread of choosing between Coke or Pepsi in a supermarket.
 
Much of the film is appallingly badly acted with sub-soap opera thespian talent on show and the dialogue is so badly written that these actors fail to convince on every level.  The film is an utter mess and the lack of atmosphere is emphasised by Carey Jones' need to resort to cheap aural stabs to try and elicit a jump from the audience.
 

The Disc

 
I was only provided with a DVD-R screener but, given the disc only comes with a theatrical trailer and the film isn't overly long, I assume that the quality is representative of the finished product.
 
Clearly shot on digital, the film suffers with low light scenes which are either very hard to make out or are washed out and grainy.  The low budget is also evident in the locations which are probably friend's houses and local businesses that are thanked in the credits.
 
I don't know whether the retail version will have an LPCM 2.0 soundtrack as this did, which was perfectly clear and adequate for the job.  The score though is horrible and interspersed with songs by Felicity Barker (written by Owen Carey Jones) which only underscore the amateur nature of the piece.
 
Final Thoughts
The Spell is an instantly forgettable no- to low budget horror film that fails to engage on every level and is an utter waste of time.  Most low budget films get by by either showing burgeoning talent or with the charm that a cheapie sometimes has.  This has neither.