‘Incantation’ is a Taiwanese horror movie that attempts to terrify its audience with a story involving curses and demonic spirits. Directed by seasoned horror filmmaker Kevin Ko, the movie follows Li Ronan, who tries to protect her daughter, Dodo, from an ancient curse inflicted on the former several years ago. As the movie progresses, we learn how the curse comes to haunt the mother-daughter duo.
As it interestingly blends the elements of found footage and mockumentary, the movie received a warm response from the audience and critics. Its effective imagery and the storyline have found favor with fans of the genre. If watching ‘Incantation’ whets your appetite for more horror movies in the same vein, here’s what we suggest. You can watch most of these movies similar to ‘Incantation’ on Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime.
7. Paranormal Activity (2007)
‘Paranormal Activity’ follows a young couple, Katie and Micah, whose house is being haunted by an otherworldly being. It is soon revealed that Katie has been dealing with a supernatural presence since her younger days, and the movie showcases how the couple tries to cope with the hauntings. Shot in a found footage format as ‘Incantation,’ ‘Paranormal Activity’ is considered a touchstone of the genre. With its primal scares and the filming technique, it turned out to be a hit, spawning a successful franchise that continues to make viewers squirm.
6. Soul (2013)
‘Soul’ follows a man who is haunted by the spirit of a serial killer. After collapsing while on duty, A-Chuan is sent to live with his father. Spooky happenings immediately start as A-Chuan’s father fights to rescue his son from the spirit’s clutches. If watching ‘Incantation’ made you curious about exploring Taiwanese horror further, ‘Soul’ is a good place to continue the journey. Like in ‘Incantation’, the 2013 movie also deals with a parent’s struggle to ward off the supernatural presence that is haunting their child. Albeit in ‘Soul’, a father and son are substituted in place of mother and daughter, as in ‘Incantation.’
5. Noroi: The Curse (2005)
‘Noroi: The Curse’ is a Japanese horror movie that traces the journey of Masafumi Kobayashi, a journalist interested in the paranormal. It follows him as he investigates a series of mysterious events he comes across, which might or might not be interconnected. ‘Noroi: The Curse’ also employs the same found footage technique used in ‘Incantation’. Apart from that, the movie also explores ideas in the same ballpark as ‘Incantation,’ like curses, demonic rituals, and exploring out-of-the-way places with secrets.
4. Lake Mungo (2008)
‘Lake Mungo’ follows a family in the aftermath of their daughter’s death by drowning in the titular lake. Soon after, as their grief takes a haunted form, they start experiencing things that make them suspect supernatural activity. Another entry in the found footage cannon (though it tends more towards mockumentary), ‘Lake Mungo’ creeps up on the viewer. Its slow and deliberate pacing has the effect of luring the audience in and then taking them on an absorbing ride. Like ‘Incantation’, ‘Lake Mungo’ is hell-bent on tingling your spine, with fear, of course.
3. Creep (2014)
‘Creep’ is a minimalistic horror movie fronted by the multi-hyphenate Mark Duplass. It follows a videographer as he takes up the job of recording the moments and messages of a man dying from an inoperable brain tumor. However, as the videographer comes to know the man further, he is disturbed by his behavior. ‘Creep’ does what its title promises. It sneaks up on the audience and holds their attention till the final moments. Also shot in a found footage style like ‘Incantation’, the 2014 movie manages to be a fine example of the genre despite the limited setting in which it takes place.
2. The Blair Witch Project (1999)
‘The Blair Witch Project’ chronicles three youngsters who go into a remote area of Maryland to investigate and film a documentary on the local legend known as the Blair Witch. However, they soon go missing. A year later, their equipment and self-shot footage of the trio’s time in the woods are recovered — that forms the basis of the movie.
The movie that kick-started the whole found footage horror craze, ‘The Blair Witch Project’ was a massive success. Despite being shot on a teeny-tiny budget, its success led to establishing the found footage horror genre as a viable area for filmmakers to dive into. Every subsequent movie of the same genre owes in some way to ‘The Blair Witch Project,’ and ‘Incantation’ is no different. They share similar plot elements, like venturing into deep and obscure areas in search of fables. Moreover, ‘Incantation’ seemingly takes its cue from the 1999 movie in framing its story in a way so as to maximize viewer fright.
1. The Exorcist (1973)
‘The Exorcist’ is the classic 70s horror movie about a young girl being haunted by a demonic spirit. Directed by William Friedkin, the movie sees an anguished mother taking the help of Catholic priests in performing an exorcism of her possessed daughter in an attempt to rid her of the demon infesting her. The granddaddy of films about possession, ‘The Exorcist’ is one of the most successful horror movies of all time.
Featuring several iconic scenes, the 1973 film is considered one of the greatest horror movies ever to be put on a screen. Beyond the elements of a supernatural haunting, at the heart of the story, both ‘The Exorcist’ and ‘Incantation’ share a mother desperate to end her daughter’s agony and release her from her curse, whether literal or metaphorical.
Read More: Where Was Incantation Filmed?
