The Taking of Deborah Logan (USA - 2014) is a found footage-style horror film that marks the directorial debut of Adam Robitel, best known for his acting career that also involved him in the cast of 2001 Maniacs and 2001 Maniacs: Field of Screams by Tim Sullivan where he played the character Lester. The director himself co-wrote the screenplay for his film with Gavin Heffernan.
The Taking of Deborah Logan belongs to the strand on possession, an overused subgenre in recent years of which the cinema has offered only useless titles. This is not the case with Robitel's film, which gives the subgenre new life by offering a cinematic work in whose story the protagonist is a middle-aged woman suffering from Alzheimer's disease. A very special character then, characterized by the symptoms of dementia but also of possession.
Mia Medina (Michelle Ang) is a young woman preparing a thesis on Alzheimer's disease. The young woman finds the perfect subject to analyze in order to complete her study on the disease. It is Deborah Logan (Jill Larson), an elderly woman with the disease who lives with her daughter Sarah (Anne Ramsay). With the permission of the two women, Mia moves with her two helpers into their home, where the crew will constantly film Deborah in her daily routine. As time passes, however, everyone notices that the woman manifests new symptoms that are completely unrelated to Alzheimer's disease.
The story of The Taking of Deborah Logan immediately focuses on the dramatic situation of the Logan family, psychologically destroyed by the disease. The devastating awareness of those suffering from a degenerative dementia that slowly leads to a vegetative state and then to death goes hand in hand with the growing moral disintegration of the individual who helplessly watches the evolution of their loved one's illness. A note of drama thus envelops the entire film, which well addresses the various stages of Alzheimer's disease that advance mercilessly.
Of note is the excellent performance of Jill Larson, who well impersonates a woman with dementia. Her strange daily actions, memory loss, mood swings, aggression, and irritability are expected aspects of a clinical picture that are not lacking in Adam Robitel's film and are handled with sensitivity. The director's skill lies not only in bringing forth a story centered on a hot topic that is terrifying in itself but in mixing the disease with possession, thus transforming The Taking of Deborah Logan In an extraordinary film, full of suffering and horror.
When the symptoms of illness slowly begin to mingle with those of possession, the film touches unspeakable heights of genuine terror capable of giving the audience chills. The expressive transformation of the protagonist, her bewildered and then suddenly lightning-fast gaze, her vocal sparring, are symptoms of the disease but also the signs of something possessing her.
Frigid, stinging cinematography (by Andrew Huebscher) envelops the crucial moments, helping to make them suspenseful. Indeed, it is precisely the sequences in which the protagonist remains silent, staring into a void or at an object, alone, sitting or standing in front of a window, that instill a sense of unease in the viewer. Her cerulean face, rendered almost ghostly, glows amid dull, glacial colors as her choked screams and wails (while she is the victim of uncontrolled fits of rage) tear at the hearts of those around her.
Like a snake, horror creeps through the story and poisons the lives of the protagonists. Cold and slimy, Evil has chosen Deborah as his target, bending her to his will. A pawn of his desires, a sick and helpless puppet in his hands, he leads her into a sphere of nightmare, dragging along with her all those around her.
Tensions between the protagonists touch very high peaks when the situation becomes unmanageable. In the second part of the film and especially in the final part, in fact, the fast pace does not leave room for a moment's respite either for the protagonists or the viewer, also aided by the scenes shot in the dark with typical found footage footage in which there is no other luminous aid besides the light of the video camera. Amplifying the state of strong agitation with which the entire film is imbued are the actions of the characters aimed at protecting Deborah and which become increasingly desperate. Indeed, their panic reactions in the face of extreme situations turn into something very distressing, and their labored breathing translates this state of strong agitation very well.
Excellently directed by Adam Robitel, The Taking of Deborah Logan is a tense, fast-paced, chaotic and even claustrophobic film in the finale. The film enjoys a rich, original story that knows no downtime. Imbued with drama, despair and horror, it is one of the best films about possession but also found footage. Disturbing and unforgettable.
Good acting evidence in which that of Jill Larson (Shutter Island) stands out, truly extraordinary as Deborah Logan. Also striking is Anne Ramsay (Critters 4) who plays her daughter Sarah. In addition to the two actresses, the cast includes Michelle Ang, Anne Bedian, Ryan Cutrona (The Collection), Brett Gentile, Jeremy DeCarlos, Lee Spencer, Julianne Taylor, and Tonya Bludsworth. Music is by Haim Mazar and Logan Mader.
The successful SFX Makeup is by Gage Hubbard.
Well-known director Bryan Singer (Trick'r Treat, X-Men saga, The Giant Hunter, The Pupil) and Jeff Rice (The Woman Hunter, Empire State, Broken City, "My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done") were in charge of producing the film.
