The old ways

I went into this movie with high hopes. At the time of my review there was a 95% critic score of this movie on Rotten Tomatoes. To say I was disappointed was an understatement. Its not that this movie is bad, it just does not do anything that separates it from the pack of horror movies on Netflix. The pacing was okay, the main protagonist has uneven character development. The atmosphere was the only positive thing out of the movie. Lets all treat those critic reviews with a grain of salt as they just seem to just have a motive behind them.

I throughly enjoyed this movie. Great acting. I liked all the main characters. The atmosphere was perfect for the storyline. Old fashion exorcisms, Mexico and a bruja. About time something a little different came along.

Well, I hadn't actually heard about this 2020 movie titled "The Old Ways" before now in 2021, as I had the opportunity to sit down and watch it.

And I will say that writer Marcos Gabrie definitely managed to come up with an original idea. And it definitely was one that quickly had my attention span. However, I will say that writer Marcos Gabrie sort of takes you all over the place throughout the course of the movie. Just as you think you've figured out what is going on, then the storyline changes direction. So it makes for a very non-linear storyline.

Director Christopher Alender did a good job at bringing the story to life on the screen.

However, I must say that while "The Old Ways" certainly is a watchable movie, it was not a movie that had me all worked up. Nor does it prove to be a movie that has the contents to support more than a single viewing.

I feel that the storyline was just a bit too chaotic and random to be wholeheartedly entertaining for my personal preference. But sure, the movie was watchable and enjoyable enough for what it turned out to be.

The acting in the movie was adequate. And I can't claim to be familiar with the cast ensemble that they had managed to get together for "The Old Ways", aside from actor Sal Lopez. And that is certainly something that I enjoy in movies. I will say that Brigitte Kali Canales (playing Cristina), Andrea Cortés (playing Miranda), Julia Vera (playing Luz) and Sal Lopez (playing Javi) definitely put on good performances and carried the movie well.

Visually then "The Old Ways" was adequate. This was not a movie that was heavily reliant on an abundance of special effects and CGI. But whatever special effects and CGI were in the movie was good and served its purpose well.

A shame that the movie's storyline was so chaotic, because it could otherwise have been a more enjoyable and wholesome movie.

My rating of "The Old Ways" lands on a mediocre five out of ten stars. The potential was there, just a shame it wasn't utilized.

It's another trapped journalist/tourist story, and the initial cinematography constantly reminds me of another movie called The Ruins. With an element of exorcism against a backdrop of Central American jungle (Mexico??), this story cannot be described as original. Yet it is quite a unique one.

First things first, it has no excessive usage of jump scare. A smart move of that as this technique is kinda predictable and mediocre, if not old-fashioned. Rather it has the warmth and beat of many Latino movies which excludes unnecessary violence and dark horror. As the end of the story I even find it a bit humorous like a comedy.

Many details have been left untold. The demon should have been elaborated a bit more. Now even the boss fighting seems a bit too brief and plain. Or maybe the director simply didn't wanna make it too much like a horror movie?

If u r a fan of exorcism n wanna try something different, i think this is the one for you. Cheers n enjoy!

Not a bad exorcism movie. Went a bit long in my opinion, but it did take the time to create a mood and certain tone. The setting in Mexico added a little different angle to a worn exorcism story line. All the acting was pretty good. Perhaps the writing could've been better. If you enjoy this kind of horror movie without a ton of CGI, it's worth checking it out.