By Becca Johnson August 24, 2024
Directed by Pierre Tsigaridis, who received high praise upon release of his 2021 feature Two Witches, 'Traumatika' blends elements from the hellbound genre with that of the slasher, to tell a story about a young boy named Mikey who’s Mother begins showing signs of demonic possession.
Cleverly utilising multiple first-person point-of-view shots to immerse the audience in traumatic childhood experiences, 'Traumatika' has been receiving plenty of buzz prior to FrightFest due to the expectation of a high fear factor. With a stellar central performance and a unique yet heart-breaking story exploring the effects of trauma, 'Traumatika' is a bold and thought-provoking film that whilst fumbles the third act, poses many intriguing questions and certainly leaves a mark.
Review
From the title and the synopsis, many horror fans were expecting an uncomfortable experience, and that’s certainly what’s delivered here. Exploring the worst kinds of childhood trauma and the effect they can have on our lives is the main aim of 'Traumatika', which certainly allows for plenty of heart-breaking, difficult sequences. It never goes too far with what it shows, but even the implications of the explored traumas are hard to stomach.
Filmmaker Tsigaridis looks to explore the idea of evil; whether we’re born with it, or if it’s a result of experience, a question that many of us ponder frequently. It may not answer said questions, but it gets you thinking about them, which is his main aim. However the above may sound to try and sit through, 'Traumatika' manages to include some traditional scares that not only balance out the uncomfortable moments, but add some strong scary sequences surrounding possession. It’s a tactic we’re used to, but having something familiar within the story makes 'Traumatika' far more palatable. It’s a gory, grizzly and gruesome ride with jump scares and possession tropes, featuring an incredible performance from Rebekah Kennedy as possessed mum Abigail. She is utterly terrifying as she transforms into a product of her upbringing, and the make-up used elevates this further. If you’re brave enough to give it a try, 'Traumatika' may be one of the festivals scariest flicks.
The scares don’t only lie within the gore and the exploration of trauma, but within the technical elements, too. The use of cinematography is perhaps the most commendable, as it employs plenty of point-of-view shots from the children’s perspective, forcing us into experiencing their trauma alongside them. Not only does this increase the fear-factor by making 'Traumatika' more immersive than we’d care for it to be, but it also looks absolutely fantastic and provides a unique experience. The horror kicks off from the get-go, with the camera guiding the audience around a dark house that’s falling apart at the seams; playing around with lighting and angles, even something as simple as walking round a house makes for a haunting experience. Forcing you to look around dark corners and stare down long corridors, many viewers may be creeping around this house with their hands over their eyes. Often playing out like a video game, 'Traumatika' pulls out all the stops to force you into young Mikey’s shoes, and despite that being uncomfortable, it is certainly effective.
'Traumatika' struggles to reach ‘great’ from ‘good’ due to its muddled storyline. Although the exploration into trauma is fantastic, the horror works a treat and there is some good character development here, it ultimately bites off more than it can chew, making for a convoluted watch. The third act in particular completely shifts in tone, which is extremely jarring and unfortunate, given that the final act is the least intriguing of the film. There are a few significant time jumps within the film, which although are there to serve a purpose in showing us how long our trauma can stick with us, make for a less cohesive watch.
Many of the scenes, although well created, feel tonally out of place, creating a pastiche effect when 'Traumatika' is looked at as a whole - each scene could quite easily come from a different film. It has a terrific first act, but then steers towards something entirely new which is certainly a risk, particularly towards viewers who were enjoying the story. The talk-show element is the biggest victim of this, as though it’s an entertaining idea that we don’t see often, it doesn’t seem in keeping with the rest of the narrative. The dialogue for these scenes is also sub-par.
True horror fans without a doubt need to add 'Traumatika' to their 2024 watch-list. With effective make-up and practical effects, jump scares that genuinely work, a killer possessed performance from Rebekah Kennedy and a thorough exploration into childhood trauma, Pierre Tsigaridis has created a thought-provoking and terrifying piece of horror cinema that solidifies his place on the map. The storyline unfortunately becomes less cohesive as the run-time progresses, but there are plenty of memorable moments throughout that make it more than worth a watch.
Star Rating
'Traumatika' premiered at Frightfest London 2024 August 24
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