The Familiar Movie Review

Israel Hanna

101 minutes later, I was on the phone with potential distributors. That pretty much sums up what I thought of this film.

Miles Hanon, the writer/director and cinematographer of The Familiar, also known for his skilled editing work on End of the Spear (2005) and Beyond the Gates of Splendor (2002), crafts a fantastic story that deals with some very difficult issues in the Christian faith.

The logline for The Familiar is "Lonely bachelor, Sam, falls in love with his dead wife’s sister only to find out she’s becoming possessed by the same evil spirit that’s been terrorizing him from childhood."

As I stated in my review of Dangerous Calling, people in Christendom disagree on whether the suspense/thriller/horror genre should be used by Christian filmmakers. While many in the more far right, arch conservative groups say NO!...others see an opportunity.

The Apostle Paul, when faced with multiple graven images of gods on Mars Hill, used the "unknown" god to his advantage, to share the Christ with an audience who otherwise might not listen. Some filmmakers, like Miles Hanon and the Daws Bros., obviously fall into the second group. So do I.

The Familiar, as I stated earlier, is a film that deals with a plethora of issues that are extremely difficult for the Christian filmmaker to tackle. Among these issues are feelings of loneliness, depression, suicidal thoughts, seduction, abandonment, loss, deceit, bitterness, sensuality, demon possession, spirits, spiritual warfare and more.

The story focuses on Sam (Bryan Massey), a widower who feels alone, depressed and suicidal after the unexpected loss of his wife. Right when Sam is about to take his own life on his wedding anniversary, Sam’s former sister-in-law, Laura (played seductively and convincingly by Laura Spencer), shows up on his doorstep.

Somewhat of a wanderer, with no place to stay, Laura asks Sam if she can stay with him for awhile. Unbeknownst to Sam, a demon takes possession of Laura, the same demon that used to torment Sam and his friend Charlie (Jeff West, in a superior performance) when they were children.

I have to say that there were moments during The Familiar where I cringed because I felt that the storyline would be ruined by a moment of cheesiness that the scene seemed to demand. However, Miles Hanon did not disappoint, as the film held to a superior quality level throughout. The opportunity to turn this well-crafted film into a disaster was avoided entirely, and Hanon’s work results in 101 minutes of solid cinematic storytelling that deals expertly with extremely difficult issues.

The viewer should be cautioned that this movie will cause a measure of controversy. Very few Christian filmmakers dare to take a chance like Hanon does with The Familiar. I would recommend that adults watch this film before they allow small children to watch it.

Here’s the scoop:

Good

• Very few Christian films deal with the myriad of difficult issues that The Familiar does. The film deals with the issues head on and without excuse. This will cause controversy, and the controversy will force discussion. But a discussion opener for these issues is a great tool for anyone in the Christian faith.
• Miles Hanon puts together a well-crafted piece of filmmaking from start to finish. His experience in editing other notable Christian movies is a boon to this well-made film.
• Scenes which have the potential to destroy the quality of this film are well executed and interesting.
• There are very tense moments in the movie that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
• The Familiar is not overly dialogued, meaning that Miles Hanon doesn’t say through dialogue what he can say through moving pictures. This is a very strong "good" point for this film, and in this regard The Familiar can be looked upon as an example for other filmmakers to follow.
• The actors for the film are well cast. All actors pull off believable performances, specifically in the roles of Sam, Laura and Charlie. There are many intense scenes which make the roles extremely challenging to execute. The content of the film deals with so many difficult issues that for the actors to pull their parts off is a testament not only to them, but also to Miles Hanon and his production crew.





Lead actors Bryan Massey and Laura Spencer

• Laura Spencer plays an extremely convincing demon-possessed seductress in The Familiar. She is quite creepy, yet real, in her role as Sam’s former sister-in-law.
• Bryan Massey plays his role in a way that makes you believe that he really doesn’t want to live anymore. He deals with suicidal thoughts, depression, drinking, pain and the like. Bravo to Bryan for his part in The Familiar.
• The musical score by Jason Moore is excellent, well-crafted, and in keeping with the pacing of The Familiar.
• Audience reactions to this film have been strong across the board.

• It took me a little while to buy into the various roles because of their lack of deep development. However, character development takes place over the course of the film and, by the time you are past the first major plot point, there is genuineness throughout.
• An example of lack of initial character development is this: before her demon possession, Laura’s character seems to be a little off, in that she seems grating and almost annoying. This is no reflection on her abilities as an actress though, as is seen in the quality of her acting as The Familiar progresses. Her character needed to be more worked out in the earliest portions of the film, to give her role more substance.
• A couple of comments on props: Sam’s deceased wife’s grave marker looks out of place in the cemetery where she is buried. In addition, there are times where the whiskey that Sam is drinking looks like apple juice. This isn’t convincing.

• If you are a fan of good Christian movies that aren’t afraid to deal with controversial issues, then The Familiar is for you. I really feel that this movie is a strong title and will cause discussion among all who view it.

The Familiar is a film that I feel should be in your library, not only as a piece of quality cinematic work, but also as a discussion tool for families. Spiritual warfare is real, depression is real, suicidal thoughts are real, seduction is real, and so on. Take this great film and use it in your church group and within your families as a launching pad to discuss important topics for the glory of the King.

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