The Old Ways Review (Film, 2020) #31DaysOfHorror
content warning: drug use, blood, gore, animal death, violence against women
A woman visits ruins in La Boca. When she returns to where she’s staying in Veracruz, she’s immediately taken captive. The local people believe anyone who visits La Boca returns possessed and will stop at nothing to free her from the demon inside her.
The Old Ways is a possession horror film with a good twist right at the start. What happens if you are forced to undergo an exorcism against your will? What if you’re not actually possessed but everyone else is convinced you are? This is the challenge facing Cristina and it really helps this story stand out from the start.
For Cristina, this is a horrible misunderstanding. She’s knows she’s not possessed and poses no danger to anyone. She just wants to finish her assignment as a journalist and go back home to America. The only danger to her isn’t a demon, but the people holding her against her will.
For the people, Cristina is in great danger. They saw her acting strange when she returned from La Boca and caught her just in time to save her. If they go through all of their rituals, the demon will be gone for good and Cristina will be saved. If they fail, they’re all in danger from the demon trapped inside her.
The Old Ways isn’t the first film to pit skepticism against believe in possession stories. Its greatest strength comes in its approach. Possessed people in films usually want help, even if they don’t believe that an exorcism could save them. The novelty here is Cristina being forced into this against her will.
Her drug addiction becomes her focus. Chances are the people who believe she is possessed saw the effects of whatever she was using and assumed the worst for them. Cristina does try to call for help and escape throughout the story, but she always finds a way to make sure she uses. She is addicted and knows what could happen if she runs out. The demon apparently comes out when she doesn’t remember what happened, and we only get to see its effects when there is a ritual. The answers aren’t as clear as they first seem.
I’m a fan of ambiguity in horror when it’s done well. Great scares can be hidden in the shadows and grey areas of life. The Old Ways is a scary possession story with a unique perspective on the genre and the rituals used.
The Old Ways is streaming on Shudder.
***