VOD From The Dead - The Old Ways (2020)

Like the cycles of the moon, or the latest fashion trends, sub-genres in Horror come and go and come back again. If the 80s were the birth of the slasher film, then the mid-90s was a resurgence on account of the success seen by Wes Craven’s meta-masterpiece SCREAM. On the heels of hit films (and books) like THE EXORCIST and THE OMEN, the 70s saw a boom of religious and possession focused horror. Similar to how the immensely popular CONJURING and INSIDIOUS films have made “possession” the sub-genre dujour for the past few years, chaperoning a resurgence of supernatural and religiously infused fright films.

Much like JNCO jeans though, sub-genres reach saturation points. Where the once innovative approach has been re-done and tweaked so much that the notion of another entry is enough to deter horror fans as they retreat to the comfort food films of other decades. I’m not a possession genre connoisseur by any means, but I have enjoyed some of the more recent, and violent, entries of the past year or so. Many of which you can find on SHUDDER, but I digress. THE OLD WAYS positions itself as the Mexican counterpart to some of the more American possession fair. Does the cultural shift provide enough difference to bring new life into a crowded genre or just give horror fans more of the same?

WHAT’S IT ABOUT?

In THE OLD WAYS, Cristina, a journalist of Mexican origin, travels to her ancestral home in Veracruz to investigate a story of sorcery and healing. There, she is kidnapped by a group of locals who claim she's the devil incarnate.

Cristina just shouldn’t spelunk in some places…

HOW IS IT?

I really wanted to like this one. It was a Mexican horror movie that wasn’t about the tired LA LLORNA, and it looked like it had all the necessary materials to deliver a highly entertaining possession film experience. What the film gave was a bit of a mixed bag, but let’s start with what works. On a technical level, THE OLD WAYS looks and sounds great! The music is fitting, but not overbearing, and the composition and camera work all bring a level of polish to the film that help elevate it above similar independent horror films. The tension building for the first two-thirds of the film is truly engrossing, and I found myself with balled-up fists more than once seeing the experience Cristina has with her captors and the ritual they are performing on her. Part of what helps THE OLD WAYS to look so good is the emphasis on some gross-out set-pieces sure to make your skin crawl, with some “KALI MA” style surgery scenes to boot.

This story at the heart of THE OLD WAYS isn’t a big one, and it’s played out really well by a small, but mighty cast portraying a handful of characters. There are some aspects of the main character, Cristina, that aren’t sold very well. Particularly a personal affliction that feels unnecessary and tacked onto the character. While it can serve as a metaphor for some of the more literal horror and possession themes as a whole, it doesn’t really succeed all that well in that regard given how detached it is from the finale. It is worth noting that the film is in both Spanish and English. Personally, I don’t mind subtitles, but there are some choices characters make mid-way through where they all of sudden decide to speak English and I couldn’t help but get distracted by this decision.

Unfortunately, what THE OLD WAYS does well technically and visually doesn’t carry over as well to the narrative and pacing. I actually thought the movie was over at the 60 minute mark, only to be given another 20 some odd minutes of rushed conflict that wasn’t worth the extended runtime. This shouldn’t discourage anyone from watching, as I personally found the film entertaining and engaging enough to hold attention. There is a central message that is layered on pretty thickly about three quarters of the way through the film, and at that point it becomes glaringly obvious what the fate of our characters will be as well as the point. Whether that point resonates with you or not, it is mostly hampered by the aforementioned rushed and pace-disrupting ending. Having watched some older Universal horror movies recently, I can’t help but wonder if we should de-stigmatize shorter feature length films in order to better serve the size of their stories. Either way, while the ending fumbles some, the overall journey has enough going for it to make it a “recommend” for fans of possession films and those who can’t seem to decide what to watch next on their streaming service of choice.

Luz practices the titular “old ways”

LAST RITES

THE OLD WAYS is new enough to warrant a look from die-hard fans of possession films seeking new cultural twists. While casual fans of the sub-genre, such as I, may get enough out of it to enjoy the ride, those who are burnt out on the demonic front may be better served elsewhere.

THE GORY DETAILS

Directed By

CHRISTOPHER ALENDER

Written By

MARCOS GABRIEL

Starring

BRIGITTE KALI CANALES

ANDREA CORTÉS

JULIA VERA

SAL LOPEZ

TRAILER

Where can you watch it?

From Dark Star Pictures, THE OLD WAYS will be available October 12 on DIGITAL, DVD, & BLU-RAY*

Special features on the DVD/Blu-ray include: BTS Documentary - The Old Ways: A Look Beyond (Blu-ray exclusive), Director & Writer Commentary, Storyboard Comparisons and Deleted Scenes

*Version reviewed was DIGITAL