A man crash lands in rural Appalachia and awakens in the attic of a traditional Hoodoo practitioner. He desperately tries to break free from her dark magic and save his family from a sinister ritual before the rise of the blood moon.
Marquis Woods (Omari Hardwick) is a first-class attorney who receives word one day that his father has passed away and that he is the sole beneficiary. Having lived under his father’s abusive hand for more years than he cares to remember, he is very reluctant to go back to his father’s estate in rural Appalachia but at the insistence of his wife Veora (Lorraine Burroughs), they both, along with their two teenage kids, Samsara and Tydon (Hannah Gonera and Kalifa Burton), take Marquis’ private 4-seater plane and head out for the weekend. An intense thunderstorm forces the plane to crashland and a few days later, Marquis wakes up in the attic of an old house. When the owner, Ms. Eloise (Loretta Devine), informs him that he was the only survivor, he breaks down at the thought of losing his family but with his leg in bad shape and unable to walk, Ms. Eloise insists that he stays with her and her husband Earl (John Beasley) until he is healed.
As time goes by, Marquis begins to suspect that things are not right in the house, and one evening, while there is a torrential downpour, he sneaks out onto the roof, which is connected to the barn, and peeks in at Ms. Eloise and her husband Earl, performing a hoodoo ritual. She has created a Boogity, an Appalachian voodoo doll for her family and nearby friends, and offers up animal sacrifices to help bring each Boogity to completion but she has also crafted one for Marquis, claiming it will help heal him. Unable to accept the fact that his entire family is dead and with no logical answers from Ms. Eloise in regards to their complete disappearance, Marquis decides to investigate the house and barn by himself but he must do so without any scrutinization or questioning from Ms. Eloise. When he makes a shocking discovery in the barn, he must control his emotions or risk jeopardizing his plan and eventual escape.
“Spell” starts off promisingly enough but as it progresses, the film employs conventional scare tactics and stereotypical horror tropes that offer little new to the overall narrative. Loretta Devine shines in the role of Ms. Eloise, chewing up the scenery whenever she appears onscreen, unfortunately, the muddling plot prevents her from reaching any higher. Omari Hardwick is fine as the movie’s protagonist but like Ms. Devine, he is confined to the role of the unsuspecting central character who unearths the truth about what is going on around him much too late. We, the audience, know what’s up way before he does, even though the clues are all laid out in front of him, like cinematic breadcrumbs. In the end, “Spell” is not the worst horror film out there but it is most certainly not the best. The inclusion of hoodoo, instead of typical voodoo, makes for an interesting plot point but sadly, not enough to save it.
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