A possessed teen, a mother, and a nun. These are the ingredients that power The Containment, a film directed by Zagha Boys [Jack Zagha Kababie and Yossy Zagha], co-written with David Desola.
Caroline, a teenager reeling with grief from the death of her father, finds herself possessed by malign supernatural forces – specifically a scarab that enters her and moves within her skin.
The Containment has both chaos and clergy in its sights, offering a demonic aggression alongside the emotional effects of grief. It brings in family dynamics to a well-worn genre trope.
There’s some fun cinematography, but the idea of a young girl being possessed was already done right the way back to The Exorcist, and it is difficult to see what The Container adds that is original and unique.
By the one-hour mark, there are a few tense moments, but they are reached by a rather convoluted route. I wasn’t convinced by Gia Hunter’s performance at any point, which weakened the overall impact of the film.
If you are looking for gore, this won’t be the horror film for you; it is far more psychological, but there are stronger examples in film history from Rosemary’s Baby through The Vanishing to Get Out.
There are attempts to shock the audience with suggestions of pedophilia as well as subversive healing. Still, these elements stand as afterthoughts to the main event of voices, shocks, and exorcism.
Charlotte Hunter, Alice Coulthard, and Fernanda Romero are strong in their roles and in their understanding of the material, but are let down by a sometimes muddled script, unfocused characterisations, and predictable clichés.
The Containment is available on demand from 24 Mar. It is directed by Zagha Boys and is presented by Level 33 Entertainment and Black Mandala.