Perhaps more than any other horror subgenre, it’s possession movies that too often find themselves treading the same ground. A prime example is “The Containment”, another possession chiller that hits so many familiar beats that you’ll immediately recognize the tune. It features all the normal tropes that we’ve seen a million times which numbs us to most of its attempts to scare. Yet to its credit, the film throws us an unexpected curveball in the third act that almost saves the day…almost.

From co-directors Jack and Yossy Zagha Kababie, “The Containment” tells a fairly simple story, although it’s one that seems to be missing some key narrative pieces. It’s set in Fayetteville, Arkansas and focuses on a grieving family still reeling after a horrible tragedy. Jules (Charlotte Hunter) is trying to keep things together after her quadriplegic husband kills himself. Their two children are coping in their own ways. The older Caroline (Gia Hunter) has turned rebellious and defiant while her kid brother Don (Gabriel Bonilla) hasn’t spoken since the incident.

The family dynamic is set up early on and there is no real variation to it for the vast majority of the movie. Instead the three family members remain stuck in the same gear, even when the abovementioned possession comes. Rather than exploring the layers of emotional strain between the characters, we instead watch as the snotty Caroline get snottier, as Jules sorts out an out-of-the-blue and woefully underdeveloped relationship, and as Don remains quiet.

But things do change when a large bug resembling an ancient Egyptian scarab crawls into Caroline’s mouth and down her throat as she sleeps. As bad luck would have it, the scarab thingie is carrying a malicious demonic force that possesses Caroline whenever it feels like it. When it does, we end up getting the whole bit – blacked out eyes, vomiting, levitation, bone-cracking body contortions, speaking in other voices. It’s all there.

The hospital can’t find anything wrong. A YouTubing demonology expert is a bust. Even the local priest refuses to perform an exorcism. The family’s lone help comes from a lowly nun named Sister Esperanza (Fernanda Romero) who seems to be in way over her head. The story sputters along from there, teasing us with moments that never really deliver the tension or scares we’re looking for. It isn’t until the very end that we get our first surprise – a sinister jolt that broadsides our expectations.

“The Containment” hits us with some stylish visual flourishes and some fairly creepy imagery. But it struggles mightily in distinguishing itself from the countless possession movies that have done the same thing better. The film isn’t helped by the shaky pacing, the lack of scares, and a noticeably dry lead performance. But its the copy-and-paste adherence to the possession movie formula that drags everything down. And even an unexpected kick at the end isn’t enough to bring it to life.

VERDICT – 2 STARS