BAD VOODOO (2026)

3 stars

Miracle Media. Digital. 16th March

Abigail (Cristina Moody) has the guilt of losing her two daughters in a car crash – when she was driving. Initially we see her at some kind of hippy style commune. Women and men sitting around outside in whaite robes and flower garlands in their hair. Abigail is trying making sense of the tragedy — the others chant that she is loved.

Back at home she carries out some kind of ritual with candles and mentions their names – Amelia and Becca. A ring at the door. A flashed image of the two girls. It’s local cop warning there has been a prison break with the escapees heading toward her area. Four dangerous fugitives on the loose – convicted for multiple murders.

Curiously she seems pleased about the news rather than worried. We will find out why later.

Inevitably the convicts break in and hold her at knife point. One of them is injured. Ask if she has children and she says two girls that aren’t there. There’s Nonzo (Alex Joseph Pires), who is clearly trouble, Nice (Justin Genna), who tries to act as arbitrator, Smooth (Justin Lombard), who is injured, and Doc (Manny Perez) their seeming leader. Of course there are tensions in the group.

Abigail decides to act nicely toward the quartet but what is she actually up to? Things start to twist and turn – which I won’t spoil here. Though with a title like BAD VOODOO you can probably guess.

The film is crisply and atmospherically shot, though the script by Devin Fearn, from a story by Andrew Hepburn (who also co-directed with Andrew Adler) does throw a lot of elements into the mix – it feels like everything and the kitchen sink and at times becomes silly. The character Houngans (Jimmy C. Jules) – who figures heavily in the plot – does get a bit hammy.

Steve Kirkham