Traumatika (2024) Review

Traumatika is the latest film from Pierre Tsigaridis and Maxime Rancon, the creators of 2021’s well received Two Witches. Its premiere at this years FrightFest has garnered a good buzz, especially with what the creators have done before so it is with much anticipation that this film arrives.

The trauma that is indicated in the film’s title is the beating heart of this horrific tale of possession and murder. The drama unfolds over multiple timelines and is a thrilling watch, with a decent amount of unsettling tension throughout the movie’s duration.

The film begins, after a bit of important backstory, with the ordeal of a young boy named Mikey, who is in the thrall of his demonically possessed mother. This leads into a whole host of murder, mayhem and unravelling secrets as the film moves on at a rapid pace. This fast pace amplifies the traumatic horror tremendously, and the dark nature that unravels only adds to the tension, making the film compelling to watch.

This is very much a film of two halves. The first half of Traumatika starts things by being suitably dark (visually, and atmospherically), and contains a nastiness that gets under your skin. This works well to create a foreboding vibe as the action evolves on the screen. Importantly though, the childhood trauma aspect that the film taps into is handled maturely and effectively.

This first part is littered with hints to the likes of The Evil Dead and The Exorcist with the demonic possession (with several effective jump-scares throughout the film) it deals with, and even elements of The People Under The Stairs in there as well, with its look at a suburban life that hides the sheer darkness beyond the white picket fences and seemingly quiet neighbourhoods. This cleverly incorporates some genuinely unsettling moments that add to the whole horrific feel.

The second half of the film has an albeit important, and almost real life/true crime vibe to it. And while it slightly tones down the jittery creepiness that the first half delivered so well, it compensates by amping up the gore in a slasher sense, and this all leads to the satisfying conclusion of the film.

There are great performances from the main cast. In particular, Rebekah Kennedy takes a suitably creepy turn and Ranen Navat, who plays young Mikey, brilliantly plays the role with a mixture of tenderness and intensity that really fits in well with general aura of Traumatika. All of this helps to elevate the horror of the film in increase its impact on the viewer.

Ultimately, Traumatika is a fine follow up to Two Witches, and this bodes well for what Tsigaridis and Rancon may come up with next. If you are after a movie that mixes possession, slasher and crime elements, all delivered at a frantic pace, then Traumatika is just the film for you.

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