The Possession of Hannah Grace

Diederik Van Rooijen’s horror movie is based on an affliction that might be termed post-exorcism possession syndrome. The exorcism occurs in a brief prologue in which Hannah (Kirby Johnson) is possessed by a demon that two priests are unable to expel as she lies writhing tied to a bed, and her distraught father smothers her to death. Months later, Megan (Shay Mitchell), an ex-cop and recovering addict, confronts a crisis on her first night shift as a morgue attendant when she identifies the corpse of a badly disfigured young woman as Hannah, who shows signs of reanimating and endangering members of the staff. A mysterious intruder explains what is happening and how it can be stopped. The scenes of Hannah attacking her victims don’t display much variety, but the production design is eerie (Van Rooijen uses light and shade skillfully) and the special effects are good, particularly Hannah’s spider-walk as she makes her way about the hospital. But even though The Possession of Hannah Grace delivers a few genuine shocks and Mitchell makes a likable heroine, the film eventually becomes repetitive. Still, this should be considered a strong optional purchase. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include the production featurettes “An Autopsy of Hannah” (7 min.), “The Killer Cast” (6 min.), and “Megan’s Diaries” (2 min.), as well as a brief deleted scene, and a bonus digital copy of the film. Bottom line: a decent extras package for this uneven horror film.] (F. Swietek)