Netflix has revealed a new trailer and confirmed the release date for the Taiwanese Horror film ‘Incantation.’ The film which has been described as the most terrifying film ever made in Taiwan will release on July 8 on Netflix, worldwide.
The trailer (watch above) features horror techniques fans of The Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity will recognize, such as found footage and characters who contact the viewer through the camera. Internet culture, such as forum discussions, YouTuber confessionals, and email chain letters, influenced Ko. The trailer also includes a psychological test involving a Ferris wheel and a moving train, which reinforces the fundamental concept that viewers' intentions can influence real-world consequences.
Helmed by Kevin Ko, this film about a mother fighting to save her child from a deadly curse has made TW$170 million (US$5.7 million) and counting, making it the highest-grossing film in Taiwan to date in 2022. It's also received critical acclaim, with seven Taipei Film Award nominations (including Best Narrative Feature and Best Director). A sequel, helmed by Ko as well, is already in the works.
Ko explains that he wanted to establish an interactive connection with the audience. “I know how to scare the audience with an effective horror sequence. But a good horror movie is not just about these tricks,” he says. “The core has to be about human nature. Ultimately, the audience has to care about the characters.”
He is heavily influenced by the wave of Asian horror that swept the world in the 1990s and early 2000s, including films such as Japan's Ring, One Missed Call, Ju-on, and Dark Water, as well as Hong Kong's The Eye. “Asian horror is not just about hardcore gore,” says Ko. “It has a softness to it. It scares you but it also moves you, even heals you.”
Taiwanese horror may be igniting a new era of Asian horror. The Tag-Along, Detention, The Bridge Curse, and The Rope Curse and its sequel have given this genre fresh life in Taiwan in recent years. Many more such films with original stories are planned for release in 2022, which has been dubbed "a year of terror."
Horror films can be created effectively without a lot of special effects or expensive set pieces, which is why they've taken off in Taiwan. Asian horror films, in particular, frequently contain local knowledge that appeals to local audiences. Incantation, for example, is partially based on a true Taiwanese story about a family of cult worshippers. Ko admits that he was both intrigued and terrified by this story.