Incantation (2022)

The 2022 Taiwanese horror film Incantation follows the story of Li Ronan, a woman haunted by a curse she unleashed years earlier. The film is presented in a found-footage style, blending past and present timelines to unravel the terrifying events that led to her current predicament.

Six years prior, Ronan and her friends trespassed into a forbidden religious ritual site while filming content for their ghost-hunting channel. Ignoring warnings, they broke a sacred taboo and encountered a mysterious cult worshipping an ancient deity known as the Mother-Buddha. Their actions triggered a horrific curse, leading to tragic consequences for her friends and marking Ronan with an inescapable supernatural burden.

In the present day, Ronan is trying to rebuild her life and regain custody of her young daughter, Dodo. However, as strange and increasingly disturbing events unfold around them, it becomes clear that the curse has followed Ronan, and now threatens Dodo’s life. Desperate to protect her child, Ronan delves deeper into the mystery, uncovering chilling secrets about the deity and the origins of the curse.

The film employs a unique narrative technique, involving audience participation by showing symbolic chants and gestures meant to “share” the curse, blurring the line between fiction and reality. As the story reaches its climax, Ronan is faced with an agonizing choice, leading to a shocking and emotional ending that questions the nature of faith, sacrifice, and guilt.

Incantation is known for its atmospheric horror, psychological tension, and exploration of themes such as motherhood, trauma, and the power of belief.