To pull from 2004’s Hellboy, “there are things that go bump in the night.” Whether you believe this to be real or not, there is no denying there are certain things that can’t always be explained. I’m sure to a degree that logic can explain away some of it, but not all of it. I know this issue is a bit controversial depending on where you stand with beliefs and the supernatural. I feel like 1992’s Candyman is a good indication of how we toil with the supernatural. The prologue to this early 90s slasher lays out the mythology of Candyman. If you stand in front of a mirror and say his name five times, he will appear to you. The movie states that no one ever gets past the fourth time. This leads me to believe that we are happy to dabble in the supernatural but don’t fully believe that we can open up the door to other places. 

I’m sure that there is a fair mixture of us that believe playing with Ouija boards welcomes spirits from another realm, while some of us see nothing more than a quaint game. It’s interesting to address such subjects with people. It’s equally as fascinating to see how various generations have produced the same stories on repeat. Parents warn their children about playing such games because they were cursed thanks to their own curiosity at the same age. I’m not sure about you, but the more I’m told not to do something, the more I have the urge to do that specific thing. Perhaps that’s the same philosophy taken with such things. 

It’s not just America that has such legends. You can look to Latin America to hear the legend of La Llorona, and Morocco has given us the legend of Aicha Kandisha. The latter of these comes to Shudder in the original film, Kandisha. The film depicts the story of a trio of friends, one of whom becomes haunted by the spirit of Kandisha after summoning her to deal with an abusive boyfriend. The trio race against the clock to undo the curse of Kandisha. I can’t speak for the 2008 film of the same name, but Kandisha finds strength in its characters. The film spends the first act building up its characters - not just the core trio, but its secondary characters as well. Sometimes in horror movies characters can feel unexplored. The filmmakers are focused on setting up the terror aspects and not really on convincing the audience to feel for these characters. 

Kandisha is a breath of fresh air. You feel the weight of every death, and they take their toll on the viewers because the filmmakers have properly established them. I will say that not all of the characters are well built. Some of them feel like generic copy and paste acts we’ve seen from other supernatural films dealing with similar subject matter. Kandisha falls into the tropes of the genre as well. Other movies like The Nun and subsequently some of The Exorcist series and other sequels have fallen into this trap of having the supernatural antagonist follow certain patterns, which in the end actually hinders the final product. Subsequently, this is what we find here in Kandisha. The final act of the film is riddled with predictable character decisions and plot points.

This takes away from its truly terrifying delivery. I’ve seen my fair share of demonic movies, but Kandisha has to be one of the truly creepiest ones I’ve come into contact with thus far. The film is legitimately terrifying. This particularly comes from the character design of Kandisha herself. She isn’t merely a cliche demon we’ve seen done a hundred times before with an actor in make up. The filmmakers really lean into the otherworldly nature of her design, which in turn helps elevate the film to new heights with its terror. The sequences in which a character faces off with Kandisha are as creepy as they come. They are atmospheric and among the film’s best moments. 

Kandisha is much more than its creepy counterparts. On the contrary, what helps make this film incredibly effective is also its acting. The film’s core trio of actresses Suzy Bemba, Mathilde Lamusse, and Samarcande Saadi help draw emotional depth to the film. Not only do the actresses have terrific chemistry, but as a viewer you genuinely care about them. It may sound weird to say, but the relationship is comparable to The Goonies or Stand by Me. If we’re addressing stateside comparisons, the chemistry of those casts is a good comparison to draw for you. Each character is extremely compelling as well. We have these little moments for each character that are genuine nuggets of emotion littered throughout the film.

Overall, Kandisha is a genuinely terrifying movie that echoes through its atmosphere, cinematography, and character design. The acting is top notch and the pacing is exceptional. Perhaps the biggest pitfall of Kandisha would be its predictable third act and tendencies to walk in genre tropes. Though they are few and far between, they are hauntingly present. The emotional core of the film is the true winner of the film. It is brilliantly used and without a doubt elevates Kandisha to new heights.

RORSCHACH RATING:

Mental Health Moment: Given the film’s subject matter in its first act with Amelie (Mathilde Lamusse) and her abusive boyfriend, I wanted to tackle the subject of abusive relationships and how they impact our mental health. However, representation matters, and I wanted to do justice to the topic by bringing in someone who has gone through such trauma. The following words are written by Abigail Bardwell: 

Abuse is prevalent in domestic relationships, and it’s at an all-time high following COVID - but not all abuse is the same. I am a survivor of relationship abuse, and I try to do my best to let everyone know that being abused is not a reflection of you. About half of all men and women will experience some type of psychological aggression from the partner at one time. Nearly one in four women and probably about one in seven men will experience physical aggression from their partner at one time.

I used to blame myself for being in toxic relationships. I would blame myself for being the common denominator between all the violence and chaos and verbal/emotional manipulation. Eventually I realized that I could never accept the love I deserved if I didn’t love myself first. It’s a process I’ll always be working on - loving myself, and learning to ask for what I deserve - but absolutely no one deserves abuse.

If you feel that you are experiencing relationship abuse or you know someone who is, text “START” to 88788, or visit THEHOTLINE.ORG.

If you or someone you know is reading this right now and struggling with suicide, depression, addiction, or self-harm - please reach out. Comment, message, or tweet at us. Go to victimsandvillains.net/hope for more resources. Call the suicide lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Text "HELP" to 741-741. There is hope & you DO have so much value and worth!

Victims and Villains is written (and produced) by Josh "Captain Nostalgia" Burkey and others, and edited by Cam Smith. Music by Mallory Johnson and others. Kandisha is property of Shudder. We do not own nor claim any rights.

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