I seem to be saying this about a lot of modern films–the idea has so much potential. And another thing I say frequently about modern films–they have no lovable characters. What is it about newer filmmakers that they seem to completely ignore the idea of creating characters that an audience can connect with?
A creepy story and impressive special effects are not enough! You have to have lovable characters!
The Taking of Deborah Logan is another one of those documentary-style horror flicks that are quickly becoming way too common. I lump documentary-style in with found footage-style; they’re basically the same thing. Unlike The Blair Witch Project, Paranormal Activity, Cloverfield, Rec, and even Cannibal Holocaust, The Taking of Deborah Logan spends zero time building characters that we’ll actually like.
Right from the beginning, the documentarian, Mia (played by Michelle Ang), lies to the elderly Alzheimer’s woman, Deborah Logan (played by Jill Larson), about why she is filming the documentary. Why?! Why tell the audience that she lied about having a grandparent with Alzheimer’s? All that does is make us dislike her. Her film crew is just as bad–one is barely present and the other is threatening to quit every few minutes. Then there is Deborah’s daughter, Sarah (played by Anne Ramsay), the chronic alcoholic who seems to care as much for her mother as a petrified dog turd; she only cares about money and the bottle.
But don’t go thinking I hated the movie. I most certainly did not. Jill Larson’s portrayal of Deborah was both thrilling and terrifying. While she doesn’t come off as a lovable unwitting antagonist, like Jack Torrance in The Shining, she does make your fucking skin crawl almost from the get-go. And The Taking of Deborah Logan has some truly frightening scenes, especially that one at the end, in the cave–Jesus-fucking-Christ!
But despite the good frights and great acting from its lead, the movie tries to do too much. They try to squeeze too many jumps into a 90-minute flick. The TV flying off the wall, for example, is too much. And several other scenes are completely unnecessary. And, thinking about it now, the movie could have been made better if it wasn’t shackled by the documentary-style. That style feels forced, as if the original script didn’t even call for it.
Despite its faults, it’s worth a watch. You can find it on Tubi and Amazon.
