Director Antonio Negret effectively explores the cultural clash of spiritual beliefs and less effectively observes the impact of colonialism in his new feature “Shaman”, a supernatural horror film penned by his brother, Daniel Negret. Their collaboration is both beautiful and terrifying, with the brothers using horror’s well-traveled possession subgenre as a means of examining its bigger and more specific themes.

The story is set in a remote part of Ecuador where a well-meaning Catholic missionary family have come to minister to the indigenous locals under the direction of a local priest, Father Meyer (Alejandro Fajardo). Candice (Sara Canning), her husband Joel (Daniel Gillies), and their teenage son Elliot (Jett Klyne) have jumpstarted a school, they offer medicines to the sick, and provide warm meals to those in need.

But things take a sinister turn after Elliot ventures into a nearby cave despite the warnings of some local kids. He inadvertently breaks a seal that unleashes a malicious spirit which is later identified as Supay, the God of Death. Unknowingly possessed by the evil Supay, Elliot returns home. But it’s not long before Candice begins noticing her son acting unusual. To no surprise his actions progressively get more disturbing, from disappearing in the middle of the night to throwing up blood (among other things).

Adding to the eeriness is a creepy old shaman (Humberto Morales) who takes an immediate interest in Elliot. The devout Candice wants no part of the shaman or his unsettling rituals. But his repeated presence raises concern. Is he someone who can help and can he be trusted? Or is he and his black magic the root cause of Elliot’s condition? That mystery plays a big part of the film’s second half. As Elliot’s condition worsens, a troubled Candice feels more helpless and the shaman’s presence grows more peculiar.

“Shaman” is not for the squeamish. In addition to the strange totems, animal sacrifices, and creepy occult rituals, there is no shortage of graphic and squirm-worthy images to make you uncomfortable. Bleeding eyes, burning skin, cracking bones, scorpions. The movie throws in a variety of genre conventions plucked from all kinds of past possession movies. That inevitably strips away some of the tension for fans who have seen it all before. But the setting remains interesting even when the scares aren’t quite hitting their marks.

Thematically, the movie takes some swings at religion and colonialism through the clash between the family’s firm Catholic beliefs and the local culture. Meanwhile we get a slow drip of revelation that hints at past family troubles. But within the bounds of the story neither are explored in enough detail to matter much. Still “Shaman” manages to get under your skin just enough to be effective. And familiar possession tropes aside, the film does things with its unique setting to give the story its own distinct identity.

VERDICT – 3 STARS