Shaman Movie Review – Russell Crowe Isn’t Coming to Save You In This Possession Horror

Antonio Negret’s Shaman turns out to be one of the more innovative horror movies about demonic possession when it focuses on the subtle rather than the supernatural. Ever since The Exorcist, Hollywood falls into the same trap of how the Catholic Church views possession, with holy water, crosses, praying, and a person of the collar being the only weapons to fight against the special forces of Hell.

Shaman, written by Daniel Negret, chooses a different approach. In this tale, a missionary couple, Joel (Daniel Gillies) and Candice (Sara Canning), move to Ecuador, aiming to convert the indigenous people to Catholicism. Their son, Elliot (Jett Klyne), enters a forbidden cave and comes back with a sinister presence attached to him. Candice believes they need to put faith in the Catholic ways to exorcise the demon out of the boy’s body, but the local shamans try to explain that this presence requires more than what Candice proposes. The question is, can Candice accept any other beliefs beside her own? She might not have a choice, though, as Elliot’s situation goes from bad to worse.

When Shaman poses questions about religion, the film is at its strongest point. It forces the audience to confront their own belief system, wondering how they would approach a similar situation. Negret’s script also understands how to color in a complex character like Candice. Does she just have blind faith, or is she too blinded by arrogance to accept she might not have all the answers? The story goes a long way in exploring this, as the filmmakers understand the loaded topic of religion requires nuanced understanding rather than total absolutes.

Speaking of Candice, Sara Canning puts in a gargantuan performance here. The character runs through a meatgrinder of emotions, getting twisted in all kinds of directions, as she needs to grow and challenge her own preconceived notions to save her son. Arguably, Candice undergoes the biggest transformation out of everyone in Shaman, which makes sense when you see how she’s positioned in the opening scene of the film. 

Funnily enough, I didn’t care much for the demonic possession scenes. At this point in the game, everything has been done before, so there’s nothing really new as the possessed Elliot thrashes around, makes spooky voices, and commits heinous acts. Daniel Andrade’s cinematography remains haunting and atmospheric throughout these scenes, maintaining the tension at a simmer, but alas, it’s run-of-the-mill possession antics. Alternatively, maybe I’m too desensitized from seeing too much of it – I blame you, Russell Crowe and all your recent exorcism movies.

Possession horrors are a dime a dozen nowadays. You shake a bush, and Pazazu’s cousin pops out to take your body for a joyride. While Shaman doesn’t reinvent the visual nature of the subgenre, it produces necessary food for thought from a thematic perspective. Ultimately, this turns into a tale about the importance of respecting and opening your mind to different points-of-view, since there’s always something to learn from another. If only someone could figure out how to reinvigorate the actual possession scenes now.

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