 | MOVIE DETAILS • Name: Kandisha • Year: 2020 • Country: France • Director: Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury • Main cast: Mathilde Lamusse, Samarcande Saadi, Suzy Bemba • Runtime: 85 minutes • Production company: Esprits Frappeurs, Wy Productions • TRAILER |
Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury will always be remembered for their debut feature film, À l’intérieur (2007), a very gory psychological horror movie where a young pregnant woman is attacked by a mysterious stranger who seeks to take her unborn baby. A very shocking film, genuinely scary and brutal, that became one of the pivotal titles of the New Wave of French Horror movement. Although the duo has been active in horror productions releasing Livide (2011) and Leatherface (2017), the impact of their works haven’t been the same as their debut.
Kandisha (2020) might not bring them back to the highest position of horror filmmaking, but it is a very competent and scary film, which can easily be a very entertaining and enjoyable one for the goers of the genre. This time, they play with demonical mythology, which is always adding points for an enjoyable ride.
Because Aicha Kandicha is actually a real mythological figure with its origins in northern Moroccan folklore. She is typically depicted as a beautiful young woman who has the legs of a hoofed animal such as a goat or camel. And this is not the first time she has appeared in movies, like the Moroccan horror-thriller Kandisha (2008).
But let’s focus on the movie. Kandisha (2020) is also a reflection of the current social situation in many French big cities. Middle and low class are holding hands and many suburbs are real nests for crime and poverty. Still, this is not a movie about social conflicts, it just only depicts the reality of a France that has become one of the most culturally mixed countries in Europe. The trio of stars are three girls best friends, all coming from humble origins but surviving in the asphalt jungle the most honest way possible. And everything is fucked, but at least it is fucked in harmony, at least until one of them summons the evil spirit of Aicha Kandicha. And then is when the horror begins.
Kandisha (2020) is dark and wicked, it takes no prisoners, and it is wonderfully starred by a group of actors, most of them newcomers, portraying their roles in a very credible way. The filmmakers build a solid scary story that mixes real life in the slums with the dark folklore in a way it feels credible enough, which makes the audience always feel close to the characters. And that, my friends, is not always an easy task.
In less than an hour and a half, Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury present a well-founded horror movie, simple but effective, not so original but never boring, and leaded by a group of actresses that seeing their fresh and genuine performer one could think they have been best friends in real life. A very enjoyable film, without big pretensions other than sharing some frights and build an entertaining story. Once again, another good addition to the Shudder catalog.
RATE: 6/10
IMDB URL: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt11058930
