When a group of mean girls invite Camille (Suki Waterhouse), the protagonist of “Seance”, to get in touch with a dead classmate, she shrugs her shoulders.
“Why not?” Says Camille. “Sounds weird.”
This is essentially the thesis of this genre-confused film: why not? Sounds weird.
“Seance”, directed by Simon Barrett, takes place at the fictional Edelvine Academy, a boarding school for girls where an evil presence arises after a clique of students tries to conjure up a ghost. Newcomer Camille arrives as girls start disappearing.
Given Barrett’s career as a horror screenwriter – he wrote the curvy “You’re Next” and contributed to the “V / H / S” series – it’s no surprise that “Seance” is strongest when it’s full and all the humor of the genre. As the film reaches its lively end, bloodshed and absurdity peak. Barrett enlivens things with practical effects and fights against choreography.
Unfortunately, the movie’s climax is at odds with its construction, a trotting narrative that revolves around weak characters with even weaker motivations. “Seance” meanders for most of its runtime, fluctuating between tones and styles. It’s both confident and overly serious. It tries to be a thriller, a slasher, a coming-of-age story, and a haunted house film at the same time.
Occasionally, when the movie picks a genre, it gets stuck, but “Seance” ends up feeling messed up. Countless bizarre decisions – like dressing up the teenage characters in figure-hugging pajamas and randomly inserting music into scenes – don’t help.
Like his characters making a planchette out of lipstick and a phone case, “Seance” brings ideas together and hopes for the best. But moments of true innovation can be found under the mistakes.
seance
Rated R for buckets of blood and unladylike language. Running time: 1 hour 32 minutes. To rent or buy in theaters and on FandangoNow, Vudu and other streaming platforms and pay-TV operators. Please consult the Policies of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention before viewing films in theaters.
