Incantation (2022)
★★½ — Incantation (2022)
Incantation arrived in 2022 as something of a watershed moment for Taiwanese horror, becoming the highest-grossing domestic horror film in Taiwan's box office history on a modest production budget. Director Kevin Ko had worked primarily in lighter commercial fare before this, making the pivot to folk horror a notable shift in his career. The film draws loose inspiration from a real incident involving a Taiwanese family who claimed to have disturbed a deity through forbidden rituals, and Ko frames the story through found footage and direct-to-camera address, a formal choice that was very much in the tradition of the early 2010s found-footage wave but given fresh cultural grounding in Taiwanese religious practice and folk belief.
A-Z World Movie Tour Taiwan Incantation is a Taiwanese horror film that starts with promise, creepy found-footage vibes, a chilling local legend about a forbidden ritual, and some genuinely unsettling moments rooted in cultural folklore. There are scenes that get under your skin, not just through jumpscares (though there are a few of those), but through eerie imagery and a growing sense of dread. The concept (a woman trying to break a curse she unknowingly passed to her daughter) is emotionally charged and has real potential. But at nearly two hours, the film drags badly. It’s far too long for what it is, stretching tension past its breaking point and rrepeating segments without adding depth. What starts as atmospheric slowly becomes exhausting, and the constant handheld camera work begins to feel less like immersion and more like punishment. Some of the scares rely too heavily on loud noises and sudden faces, which might make you jump but don’t linger. And while the ending goes full-on nightmare fuel, it doesn’t quite redeem the slow middle act or make up for character choices that feel frustrating rather than believable. It’s not a bad horror film by any means, there’s craft here, and the cultural elements give it a unique edge. But as a viewing experience I didn’t enjoy it. It overstays its welcome and leans too hard on cheap tricks. Sporadically creepy, occasionally powerful, but overall a slog with more ambition than payoff.
Rating: ★★½ | Year: 2022 | Watched: 2025-09-11
Where to watch (UK)
Stream: Netflix · Netflix Standard with Ads
Physical: Amazon UK
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