New Horror Releases: Demons Are Funny People: The Possession of Hannah Grace (2018) Reviewed


Attempting to cop that same cold, stark tone of The Autopsy of Jane Doe and many of its story tropes, this latest possession movie is a dry dud that lacks chemistry, scares, and anything that makes it worthy of your hard earned dollars. 

While this latest in a long line of possession movies does actually try to break away from the standard teenage girl being overcome by a ravaging demon while family and religious folk stand around trying to vanquish the evil, this satanic movie of the month fails at every stone grey corner. Plodding along at an extremely slow pace that never ramps up to anything worthwhile, this feels like a release that was better suited for the post summer dregs, not while the holiday season is getting its ambitious start. 

Featuring a cast of nobodies with a budget that feels non-existent, The Possession of Hannah Grace is borderline straight to blu-ray quality. The visual effects are ultimately all rendered by CGI as the possessed subject does her finest job of slinking and crawling up and down walls in a mild tribute to previous films that did a much better job of scaring us. Realistically, most critical reviewers try to go in with an open mind. We don't like to shoot these things in the foot so astutely. But this project is simply a by the numbers, cliche ridden cinematic catastrophe that really would have done better on a streaming service like Netflix, Shudder, or any other random that might throw a few bucks at promoting it as an exclusive for their viewership. As a theatrical film, it simply has little to offer that we haven't seen before. If it were available on demand, it would most likely get a less harsh critique. 

Do you find me sexy? I find me sexy.
Let's make out. 

Set in a dark and cavernous hospital that never seems or looks like a medical facility, the director behind Hannah Grace can't even get the mood or environmental feel right. Yes, some of the lighting is cool and the premise could have been amazing if they actually delivered on a creating a vibrant script that actually scared us. But overall, nearly everything about the movie is a total miss. You can tell there's some talent right below the surface. The actors seem to want to do more, but they're all limited by a phoned in, dumping ground type movie that seriously should have been given more treatment in the developmental stages. As a horror hound, I was thoroughly not impressed but give them minor marks for effort. 

If you're looking for something creepy to watch, there are a few moments here that qualify. But the way that it seems to cop the steely nature of The Autopsy of Jane Doe is so apparent it hurts. Yet, if your addiction to the genre is in need of a fix, you'll probably walk out of this one with your craving mildly satisfied. You just won't feel like you got the high you were looking for. The Possession of Hannah Grace is basic by the books genre tripe. 

-CG