Film Review: Kandisha

Kandisha is a horror film from French filmmakers, Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo, who most horror fans will recognize as the guys behind Inside and Livid, two infamous entries in the wave of extreme horror films to come out of France in the mid-to-late 2000s, as well as their most recent film, their English language debut, Leatherface. Kandisha brings them back to France, and this time, tackles a supernatural element, specifically of the curse variety, one that is rooted to a culture not often seen in these kinds of movies, that of a Moroccan djinn called Aicha Kandisha that prey upon men.

The film follows three friends, Amélie (Mathilde Lamusse), Bintou (Suzy Bemba), and Morjana (Samarcande Saadi), who are trying to have their fun during summer break. However, when an ex confronts Amélie, and gets violent, she fights back and runs off. Feeling upset and remembering a conversation she had with her friends about the folklore of Kandisha, she summons the ghoul, and her ex is found dead, hit by a car. While no one is going to miss the ex, the spirit starts going on a killing spree, attacking the men in these girls’ lives, and they need to figure out how to stop Kandisha, and break the curse.

Fans of these filmmakers might go in expecting a gore fest, and that isn’t really what this film is going for. It is in a sense more fitting of some mainstream sensibilities, one might think of films like Candyman, Drag Me To Hell, and even something like I Know What You Did Last Summer. That said, when the kills do happen, they are really gnarly, one kill in particular that happens towards the end of the second act is genuinely kind of shocking in its gratuitousness. The effects are great, but the gore is by no means the focus.

At its heart, the film is a coming-of-age film. These rebellious girls are all dealing with loss and other personal baggage in their own distinct way, and they’re trying to make sense of their place in the world. Their outlook wasn’t particularly great even before the bloodshed starts happening. If it weren’t for the whole horror element, there would be a pretty solid urban teen drama in its place.

However, this is also where the film’s messaging can feel a bit off. As a film that is very aware of how its playing with gender dynamics in a horror context, and the supposed catharsis that would come out of seeing toxic men get their just desserts, the film doesn’t really take its ideas anywhere interesting. If anything, it unintentionally implies that Amélie’s desire for revenge against an abusive ex only serves to get others hurt. The messaging doesn’t really cohere into something interesting, but it’s not necessarily a deal breaker for me.

Kandisha is an overall effective horror film, and fans of Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo will probably find a lot to like here, especially in the few moments where they really indulge in the carnage. The performance by Mériem Sarolie as the titular spirit is really intimidating and creepy, and sure to haunt the nightmares of anyone who might be squeamish, and the leads are totally solid and believable as friends. Though I will say as a warning, there is an on-screen animal death, so if that’s not something you wanna see, just turn away when the scene happens. You’ll be able to see it coming. Aside from a few gripes, I did enjoy the film well enough as a whole, even if I wouldn’t rank it among films like Inside or Livid. It gets the job done, and it doesn’t waste too much of your time getting to the good stuff.

Kandisha is now available to watch on Shudder.