Spell Blu Ray Review (Paramount)

Spell is a 2020 supernatural horror film directed by Mark Tonderai (Hush, Castle Rock, Gotham, Nightflyers, 12 Monkeys, and Black Lightning). It was produced and written by Kurt Wimmer (Children of the Corn, Point Break, Total Recall, Equilibrium, and Street Kings). It was produced by actor Morris Chestnut (When the Bough Breaks, Takers, Love in the Nick of Tyme, and Not Easily Broken) for Paramount Players. It originally had a major theatrical release planned but it was cancelled due to Covid-19. It was released on Video on Demand plus a  very limited theatrical run where it grossed $500,104 at the box office.

While flying to his father’s funeral in rural Appalachia, an intense storm causes Marquis (played by: Omari Hardwick from Kick-Ass, Power, Sorry to Bother You, and The A-Team) to lose control of the plane carrying him plus his family that includes wife Veora (played by: Lorraine Burroughs from Spooks: Code 9, Carnival Row, The Five, and The Glass Man), his son Tydon (played by: Kalifa Burton from Birthday), and his daughter Samsara (played by: Hannah Gonera from A Horse Called Wish and Camp Getaway). He awakens wounded, alone and trapped in Hoodoo practitioner Ms. Eloise’s (played by: Loretta Devine from Urban Legend 1/2, Crash, Hoodlum, and Waiting to Exhale) attic with the help of Earl (played by: John Beasley from The Purge: Anarchy, Sinister 2, Walking Tall, and The Sum of All Fears). She claims that she can nurse him back to health with the Boogity, a Hoodoo figure she has made from his blood and skin. As things get weirder and more dangerous for Marquis, he struggles to get the strength to escape. Unable to call for help, Marquis desperately tries to outwit and break free from her dark magic and save his family from a sinister ritual before the rise of the blood moon.

Spell is a cross between Misery and The Skeleton Key. It has nice isolated country atmosphere, high quality production design, and the script was great for this. Spell gets intense, it’s very suspenseful and it feels claustrophobic when you are trapped with the main character. It has a few twist and turns plus a enjoyable finale. Omari Hardwick is really good as the man forced to face his past demons when his abusive father passes away. Loretta Devine steals the show as the evil spiritual woman that is forcing this family to stay at her home. This is her best performance so far and I’ve never seen her do this type of character in her long career so it will a little surprising to see this different range from the veteran actress. She usually plays a nice and normal roles but she is very impressive as the villain here. The two leads have good chemistry and it works well with the build up to the end. It has a solid supporting cast that includes Lorraine Burroughs, John Beasley, and Tumisho Masha (Jozi-H). Since Get Out became a hit, urban horror has got more popular in the mainstream again and Spell is one of the better productions in the last few years for the sub-genre. I do wish it showed more of Eloise practicing black magic because those moments were creepy. This one delivers on everything, it’s a very entertaining experience. It’s way better than what you would expect, RECOMMENDED!!!!

Let’s talk about the high definition presentation from Paramount Pictures! This 1080p (2.39:1) transfer looks fantastic. The hoodo production design, isolated atmosphere, and cinematography shine here when it comes to Spell. The English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is solid but for this type of feature it could have been better at times. All of the dialogue was very clean, the thrills had a nice boost for the most part, and the music was elevated. It has English, English SDH, French, and Spanish subtitles.

Let’s discuss the special features from Paramount Pictures! It has almost 27 minutes of “Deleted Scenes” which includes Alternate Opening, Words Aren’t Enough, Money Can’t Getcha Everything, Blood in Urine, I’m Coming for You, There You Go, Come Back, Big Lewis, Wreckage, The Surgery, Baby Pig, Under the Porch, Doctor on the Run, It’s Not My Blood, and Alternate Ending. This actually had some material that was surprised that didn’t make the final cut. “The Nightmare Spell” is a little over 3 minutes. It shows some of the supernatural hell Marquis went through for Spell. “Rootwork: Conjuring Spell” is almost 18 minutes. It has interviews with actors Omari Hardwick, Loretta Devine, Lorraine Burroughs, John Beasley, other cast members, and some of the crew. They chat about the concept and story for Spell. They talk about the cast and some of the performances here. They mention it being similar to Misery but with a twist to it. They go over urban horror a little bit and say this one is different from the others. Loretta Devine mentions this is a different type of role for her and she didn’t think she would get an opportunity like this when it came to acting. They chat about their experience on Spell and working with the director. It showcases some of the special fx from the movie. “The Art of Hoodoo” is almost 13 minutes. It has interviews with various members of the production. This is a great inside look into the production design of Spell. It shows how they put together some of the sets for the feature. They mention the difference between Hoodoo and Voodo. It has some behind the scenes footage. It also includes a slipcover and a digital code. It’s available everywhere right now, CHECK IT OUT!!!!