[REVIEW] ‘FLEE THE LIGHT’ OFFERS A WATCHABLE INDIE TAKE ON POSSESSION HORROR

Flee the Light centers on two sisters: Andra (Annie Tuma), who is a psychology student, and the other, Delfi (Ariana Marquis), who has a psychotic disorder. Presumably, you can already tell where this film is going. Andra is determined to cure her sister’s psychosis and, in doing so, uncovers an ancient evil that has seemingly been haunting them since the womb.

Essentially, Delfi tries to convince her sister that she’s not “mentally ill”–she’s simply a reincarnated witch who needs to return to the place where her coven thrived. As a good sister does, she agrees, and they travel to said place…and bad stuff happens. Can these two sisters face down a sinister force? Are they willing to sacrifice themselves for each other? That’s where the tension of this movie resides.

There’s a lot to like about the narrative in Flee the Light: the female-led horror, the witchcraft/possession narrative, the sisterly bond. However, it doesn’t quite succeed in execution. Although I appreciate the indie-horror vibe–low budget, atmospheric–the character development is so minimal that it’s difficult to be invested in either sister. The acting is decent enough, but again, we don’t know anything about these characters other than their apparent collective haunting. They are very one-dimensional–which is a shame, especially because mental illness is actually treated decently here for a horror film. It’s nothing profound, but at least it’s not overly simplistic.

Ultimately, Flee the Light offers nothing new to the genre, but it is watchable–which horror lovers can agree is saying something these days. It’s predictable but decent if you’re looking for an indie horror to support.

Flee the Light is available on VOD platforms such as Apple TV, Amazon, and Vimeo, as well as cable/satellite providers on February 15, 2022.