Spell is a 2020 supernatural thriller film directed by Mark Tonderai and starring Omari Hardwick and Loretta Devine. It was released in the United States through digital by Paramount Pictures on October 30, 2020.
| Spell | |
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 Release poster | |
| Directed by | Mark Tonderai |
| Written by | Kurt Wimmer |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | Omari Hardwick Loretta Devine John Beasley |
| Cinematography | Jacques Jouffret |
| Edited by | Sarah C. Reeves |
| Music by | Ben Onono |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 92 minutes[1] |
| Countries |
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| Language | English |
| Box office | $500,104[2][3] |
Premise
editWhile flying to his father's funeral in rural Appalachia Kentucky, an intense storm causes Marquis to lose control of the plane carrying himself and his family. He soon awakens wounded, alone and trapped in Ms. Eloise's attic. Eloise claims she can nurse him back to health with a hoodoo figure she has made from his blood and skin. Unable to call for help, Marquis desperately tries to break free from her dark magic and save his family from a sinister ritual before the rise of the blood moon.
Cast
edit- Omari Hardwick as Marquis T. Woods[4]
- Loretta Devine as Ms. Eloise[4]
- John Beasley[5] as Earl
- Lorraine Burroughs as Veora Woods
- Hannah Gonera as Samsara Woods
- Kalifa Burton as Tydon Woods
- Tumisho Masha as Sheriff
- Steve Mululu as Lewis
Production
editThe film was shot in South Africa around the outskirts of Cape Town and Stellenbosch.[6]
Release
editThe film was released on digital platforms by Paramount Pictures on October 30, 2020.[5][4][7] It was originally scheduled to be released theatrically on August 28, 2020[8] before it was pulled from the schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was later rescheduled to be released on home media on October 30, 2020.[9]
Reception
editOn the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 49% of 51 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.3/10. The website's consensus reads: "Despite a promising beginning, this repetitive and predictable thriller lacks enough of an identity to cast much of a Spell."[10] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 38 out of 100, based on 6 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews.[11]
Tomris Laffly of RogerEbert.com awarded the film one and a half stars.[12] Meagan Navarro of Bloody Disgusting awarded the film one and a half skulls out of five.[13]
Peter Debruge of Variety gave the film a positive review and wrote, "this is a decently stylish thriller with occult elements that should satisfy viewers’ genre requirements, though few will demand a second watch (or sequel)."[6] Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter gave the film a negative review and wrote, "Unfortunately, the filmmaker's stylistic efforts aren't enough to compensate for the predictable, cliché-ridden aspects of the screenplay..."[14]
References
edit- ^ "Spell (15)". British Board of Film Classification. October 14, 2020. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
- ^ "Spell (2020)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
- ^ "Spell (2020)". The Numbers. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
- ^ a b c Squires, John (October 1, 2020). "Paramount's Hoodoo Horror Movie 'Spell' is Coming Straight to VOD on Halloween Eve [Trailer]". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
- ^ a b Prange, Stephanie (October 1, 2020). "Thriller 'Spell' Coming to PVOD and Digital Oct. 30". Media Play News. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
- ^ a b Harvey, Dennis (October 28, 2020). "'Spell' Review: A Conventional Hexing Horror in the Hills of Kentucky". Variety. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
- ^ Hegarty, Tasha (October 15, 2020). "Power's Omari Hardwick stars in creepy first trailer for new horror movie Spell". Digital Spy. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (September 9, 2019). "'Power's' Omari Hardwick to Star in Thriller 'Spell' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 24, 2020). "'Mission: Impossible 7' Opening In Pre-Thanksgiving Period 2021; 'Tomorrow War' Eyes Next Summer: Paramount Release Date Changes". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
- ^ "Spell". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
- ^ "Spell". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
- ^ Laffly, Tomris (October 30, 2020). "Spell". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
- ^ Navarro, Meagan (October 28, 2020). "[Review] 'Spell' Fails to Conjure Up Compelling Hoodoo Tale". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
- ^ Scheck, Frank (October 28, 2020). "'Spell': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
