If humans have the capacity to remember and hold grudges, it’s not a stretch to assume that their souls can carry that ability over to the afterlife. Perhaps no one knows this better than Sean Austin, one of the lead investigators from Travel Channel’s “Ghost Loop.” Five years ago, his team investigated a semi-secluded house in Ohio that was experiencing paranormal activity. A former brothel filled with rape, torture, murder and inhumane abortions, something truly sinister latched onto the property. After Sean set the trapped souls free years prior, the entity set its sight on him and his crew. Now he returns to the location for a final confrontation. Starring Sean Austin, Dave Spinks, Eric Conner, Ralph Sarchie (2014’s “Deliver Us from Evil”) and Jackey Hall, Malefice: A True Story of a Demonic Haunting is currently and exclusively available to stream on ScareNetwork.TV.
Shot by Orange Street Films and directed by Billy Lewis, Malefice: A True Story of a Demonic Haunting is pretty much an independent production. I think shooting this documentary in this way was the perfect direction. If Hollywood got their hands on it, it definitely wouldn’t have come out as grounded and realistic. Although many of the opening sequences were old footage, it gave a good insight into what this documentary was based on and fleshed out the backstory that’s meant to be frightening. The audios of women screaming and purported conversations with the demon, coupled with the creepy location and witness testimonials, was enough to make this title a successful depiction of a classic haunting. Produced by Billy Lewis, Sean Austin and Dave Spinks, it’s still worth noting that Malefice has excellent picture quality and near perfect audio for an independent documentary shot mostly in first person perspective. I can’t knock this film story-wise or production-wise because the crew were keen on producing the best representation of this encounter that they could muster.
Anyone who watches this flick is going to fall into one of two categories: skeptics or believers. It’s inevitable. For me, though, I never watch anything like Malefice unless I’m prepared to put myself in the shoes of the investigators. And what’s scarier than investigating the paranormal in a big, dark house? While it’s true that the recordings and strange events could be works of behind-the-scenes magic, I prefer to believe in what I’m seeing because I truly believe in creatures of the night. If you watch this documentary thinking, “what if that was me?”, it becomes a completely different vehicle than just an extra long episode of “Ghost Loop” without any commercial breaks. It’s scary to be in the presence of something truly evil, something that you can’t even see, and wonder what’s going to happen next. Can it hurt you? Can it possess you? I give credit to the crew members for keeping a level head in such a stressful environment.
With a villain that I’m familiar with outside of this encounter, a picture that’s worth a thousand words, some truly hair-raising moments and the feeling that this fight isn’t truly over, Malefice: A True Story of a Demonic Haunting is a must-see for ghost hunters and paranormal investigators alike. It’s a 101 Class in Ghost Hunting and an experience that begs others to follow in Sean Austin’s footsteps. Well done, team.
Final Core: 7.5 out of 10.
