Kandisha

Well, well. What do we have here? It is not like anything you've seen before. It is foreign territory yet there is something deliciously familiar with this movie. Being a film buff, I would imagine one could easily qualify it as a sixth sense meets the orphanage, but that wouldn't be fair to the director, as I firmly believe that it aims for much more than that. There are such powerful performances in this film (David Carradine's role as the American is one of his best) that the movie manages to slowly tightens its grip around your throat until you feel totally out of breath. Usually, supernatural thrillers are just what they are, thrillers. I don't think this one qualifies as such. It is more of a drama with supernatural overtones. It digs deeper than a conventional thrill flick and even though some jump scares are a bit predictable, the movie as a whole remains powerful. The score is remarkable and the cinematography reminded me of a Rembrandt painting. This is the first film I see by a Moroccan filmmaker and predictably, not my last.