REVIEW: ‘Incantation’ is A Tense Found Footage Experience

Content Warning: Incantation contains scenes depicting self-harm and suicide.

Incantation is a found footage Taiwanese horror film on Netflix. Six years ago, Ruo-nan(played by Hsuan-yen Tsai) and two of her friends visited a religious site as part of a ghost hunting project they were working on. Ruo-nan has seen ill-fortune strike those around her ever since. But, after much hard work and help from psychiatrists, Rou-nan is ready to let her past go and to be reunited with her estranged daughter Dodo. But something still haunts Ruo-nan and it seems to have its eyes set on her daughter.

Found footage films require a delicate balance in their presentation to succeed. The need to create the sense that the footage the viewer is watching is what it claims to be must be leveraged against the need to keep the film clear enough so the audience can tell what is going on. Incantation does a solid job of balancing these two needs against each other. Camera angles are chosen well and the footage only leans into any real shakiness when it is appropriate and intentional. Through this balanced approach, this movie delivers a slow-burning horror story that focuses far more on an eerie atmosphere than jump scares. This tension is aided by the film’s unique narrative structure.

Rather than simply watching this found footage, Incantation delivers the video to the audience as something made for them. Ruo-nan serves as a guide to the viewer, periodically explaining her motivations and feelings, as well as asking the audience to help her overcome the curse that seems to be haunting her daughter. This fourth-wall-breaking aspect of Incantation is something I had never experienced before in a horror movie. It gave the tale an extra level of unease as it worked to heighten the feeling of emersion in its story. Furthermore, the film leverages the audience’s tacit participation in the film to deliver a unique ending that sticks its landing amazingly.

While there isn’t a lot of visual presence of monsters or other demonic entities in Incantation, when the movie’s horror elements do appear, they are presented well. The threat and terror that these moments are intended to impart to the viewer are aided by strong visual design and skillful use of the camera angels only showing what the viewer needs to see. These brief shocks keep the film from growing too slow and allow the tension-filled atmosphere to have rewarding payoffs.

Incantation is probably my favorite found footage film I’ve seen. Granted, my experience with the genre is limited, but I think anyone who enjoys slow-burn horror movies can find something to appreciate in this film. Whether it’s the tense atmosphere, the interaction with the audience, or its unique ending, this film is one I would say any horror film lover should definitely check out.

Incantation is streaming now on Netflix.