The Summoned

Rating Breakdown: Story - 0.75 :: Direction - 1.00 :: Pacing - 0.50 :: Performances - 1.00 :: Entertainment - 1.00 TOTAL - 4.25/10

The good news and the bad news are the same: the story. Yuri Baranovsky weaves a mystery that intrigues and unsettles, but as the plot thickens, so does the film's self-importance. The deeper it goes, the more it revels in its own cleverness, and that smugness distances the audience from the suspense rather than drawing them in. Director Mark Meir clearly favours slow-burning tension, but this one burns so slowly it almost goes out. The pace drags when it should pulse, leaving the audience more likely to check the time than grip their seats.

The final act is where things pick up, finally injecting energy and clarity into the story. But by then, the sluggish pacing has already done its damage. The performances are a mixed bag-Frederick Stuart and J. Quinton Johnson bring a sense of authority, but the rest of the cast struggles to make the character-driven storytelling as engaging as it needs to be.

Is it worth watching? Perhaps, but only as a one-time curiosity rather than a film to recommend. You will need patience and possibly caffeine to get through the slower sections, but if you stick with it, there are moments of intrigue buried within the plodding pace.