The Summoned – Movie Review (3/5)

THE SUMMONED is a new horror movie coming to VOD after premiering at the 2022 Overlook Film Festival. Sure, you might guess a few of the twists and turns, but it takes nothing away from the overall experience. Read our full The Summoned movie review here!

THE SUMMONED is a horror thriller described as a “Faustian morality tale”. And rightly so, I might add. With a label like that, you already know – or can quickly guess – some of the twists coming your way. After all, it is a classic morality tale. Still, you should be entertained on the journey towards the end.

Also, the relatively small cast does an excellent job. I got a certain Get Out-vibe along the way, which is certainly never a bad thing. Not in my book, anyway.

Continue reading our The Summoned movie review below and find it on VOD from July 7, 2022.

A small, but strong, cast

In The Summoned, we meet the relatively young Elijah (Hamilton‘s J. Quinton Johnson). He has agreed to attend a self-help retreat with his rockstar girlfriend Lyn (Emma Fitzpatrick from Unhuman). And she really is a very successful star in this movie.

Elijah, on the other hand, wanted to be a musician as well, but his career never took off. Instead, he’s a mechanic and seems relatively happy. However, when asked if he didn’t still wish for a rockstar career, the answer is obvious. It should also be mentioned that there is a great song in The Summoned.

Gave me goosebumps and makes perfect sense in the setting!

Anyway, at the self-help retreat, the enigmatic doctor who runs the estate, is actually in the process of settling a generations-old supernatural debt. Who will end up paying this debt? You’ll have to watch the movie to find out.

The other key characters are portrayed by Salvador Chacon (FX’s Mayans M.C.), Angela Gulner (Netflix’s GLOW), and Frederick Stuart (as Freddy Douglas). Also, you’ll see the film’s director, Mark Meir, in a small key role as well.

For me, the absolute star is Emma Fitzpatrick who you may also recognize from Take Back the Night (2021), which she co-wrote. However, there are no bad performances in The Summoned. I just wasn’t crazy about the Elijah character. Then again, I probably wasn’t supposed to be. I hope not, anyway.

Watch The Summoned on VOD!

This new horror movie was directed by Mark Meir and it should definitely please many fans of genre films. No wonder it was well-received at its World Premiere at the 2022 Overlook Film Festival. At the same time, I can imagine this would do even better (or punch harder) if watched in a movie theater with other horror fans.

Having said that, this horror-thriller is definitely good for the home theater as well. The script, written by Jewish-Ukrainian writer Yuri Baranovsky, is intriguing and engaging. I did feel there was a tiny bit of a lull towards the third act. But certainly nothing that takes away from the overall experience.

Also, a little lull is always good to lure your audience into relaxing to ensure that the third and final act hits even harder.

The Summoned is out on North American VOD from July 7, 2022.

Details

Director: Mark Meir
Writer: Yuri Baranovsky
Stars: J. Quinton Johnson, Emma Fitzpatrick, Angela Gulner, Salvador Chacon, Frederick Stuart, Mark Meir