Oh boy another lame mystery TV thriller. Summoned is about the chronicles of a woman facing a murderer from beyond the grave as strange deaths begin to mount following the execution of a criminal. See, this is just another reason that capital punishment isn’t a deterrent, and how the prison system needs a serious overhaul.
Plagued with flashbacks and fearing for their life, painter Laura is harassed by bizarre events which suggest the evil killer she condemned to death on jury service is still killing and decides to research the supernatural in order to find a way to save herself when the unconvinced police seem reluctant to help her or resistant to get involved. Guess she lives in the hood.
This isn’t offensively terrible, it’s merely rather dull and unexciting. The lazy idling pace of the story and its lack of material or development is unimpressive and tiresome. The soundtrack, while neatly arranged, is badly designed and coordinated, effectively removing the suspense in the drama, along with the power to the tedious jump scares dotted around.
Ashley Scott doesn’t do a bad job as the lead; her smokey demur and seductive room-pacing makes it watchable, if only the character she was playing wasn’t so feckless and vulnerable all the time. The detective however is horribly miscasted, appearing brutally incapable, and it wouldn’t be a far stretch to have let Scott played each part, as both the investigator and the persecuted victim.
Then there’s all the silly ghostly nonsense that the film insists on. Violins churn and drums crash as house lamps flicker and spooky apparitions appear. Opening curtains which were closed and shitposting on the laptop for attention? C’mon, that’s not scary. And by towards the end they’ve resorted to drawing threats on mirror steam. It’s so unimaginative and laughably dismal.
There isn’t much more to say; other than it’s for the teen adult market at best. If you’re into romance or television soaps but are looking for a change of scenery, Summoned might be worth a shot as well. Also, the astute viewer will notice the stock sound of Doom doors sliding open at the 50 minute mark. 50 minutes well spent? ……No.
3/10
Possession Media 