The Possession of Hannah Grace (2018) - Madness at the morgue - 8/10 (19/12/18)

The Possession of Hannah Grace certainly doesn't reinvent the horror movie genre but is a quite creepy genre flick without any lengths. The story is centered around a former female cop who tragically lost her colleague and job and got addicted to alcohol and medication. She gets a new job as night security guard at a morgue that should prevent her from strolling around in bars and worsening her condition. Things take a turn for the worse when the body of Hannah Grace is brought to the morgue one night. The girl got killed during a controversial exorcism three months earlier and somebody was found trying to cut her dead body into pieces. As soon as her body arrives, strange things start to happen at the morgue. Lights suddenly start to flicker, doors open mysteriously and an intruder tries to get inside the morgue for ghastly reasons. The former cop wants to prove herself and those around her that she has the strength of dealing with the situation but realizes too late that she becomes the pawn in a deadly game of chess planned by an evil spirit.

The movie convinces on several levels. The film has a gloomy atmopshere from start to finish. It has a few quite scary scenes. The claustrophobic, dark and morbid locations work perfectly for an intense horror movie. The film has solid pace and doesn't waste much time with an introduction or conclusion. The characters are interesting enough to care about their fates and especially lead actress Shay Mitchell does an excellent job playing a tough woman with inner demons. The movie's conclusion isn't too stereotypical and leaves room for interpretation.

On the negative side, some scenes of the movie felt somewhat rushed. Characters speak to each other in one room and are suddenly in a completely different place after the cut. This occured on two or three occasions and was slightly confusing. The story could have been a little bit more creative and especially the fact that nobody believes the security guard because of her addiction is a tired old trope.

Still, you will get exactly what you can expect from The Possession of Hannah Grace . It's gloomy, haunting and scary. It's thoroughly entertaining. The movie feels fresher than most tired old horror franchises. It's best enjoyed at your local cinema with a couple of friends.