Release Date: 30 December 2004 (Exclusively at Cathay Cinplex Orchard)

Synopsis :

When ambitious New York analyst Lincoln Mathers (Doug Cockle) relocates his family to England, his wife (Sara Stewart) unearths London's disturbing past and becomes hostage to an ancient spirit. When Mathers finally notices that his wife is not who she was, he's forced to accept that his family's only salvation lies in a leap a faith.

He's a young man that wants the best for his family. But when a spirit possesses his wife, we are reminded that true love must be fought for and won. This supernatural thriller is told through strong characters, violent confrontations and erotic revelations.
London Voodoo tells us that true love is only possible with sacrifice.

Movie Review :

When I first heard of Director Robert Pratten’s first directorial debut London Voodoo, I had very mixed feelings about it. I have never been a fan of Voodoo and the concept of Voodoo in London just doesn’t sound right to me.

After watching it, I was somewhat dismayed by the viewing experience. Although the film had a low budget and it’s the director debut, it is not an excuse for the film to be so amateurish that it would have been a good project from film school instead.

The main plot of London Voodoo had been done too many times before. A character get possessed by another entity and no one else (especially the loved ones) seems to believe in it until almost the end of the film.

The elements in voodoo and horror could have been done in more detail or presented in a more informative manner. The same goes for the ambitious analyst Lincoln Mathers’s problems with works, family matters and adapting to the new culture in London. But both the supernatural and working/relationship worries failed to flow together but crashed and burned instead.

And then there is this psycho nanny that doesn’t really add any substance to the film and weirdly fell in love with Lincoln Mathers after meeting once or twice. There is already one supernatural problem brewing in that household; do we really need another teenager with a crazy crush there? It really felt like the film was unnecessarily biting off more than it can chew.

Another aspect of the film that bothered me initially was the quality of the film. It was rather grainy and reminded me of those old British television show that used to be shown on TV. After a while, the jarring differences (between this production and a Hollywood production) slowly subsides and the viewer can start focusing on the acting instead.

The notable parts of the film that I enjoyed were when an ancient spirit possessed Sara Stewart, Lincoln Mathers’s wife. Those parts were quite commendable since there weren’t any special effects to support and only the acting and directing to boost that intense performance. With the budget constrain, special effects and bloody gory stuffs that you normally see in a horror films are absent and only replaced by the acceptable acting.

Horror film fans can give this film a try as this film is a rather different type of film from the usual fare of Asian horror flicks that we are accustomed to. But don’t expect too much from it.

Movie Rating : C-

Review by Overider