An ancient artefact that is said to contain the demon Volpaazu is opened by Hank (Shaun O’Brien), unleashing terrible consequences for his young family. He’s already been warned that Volpaazu preys on children, but greed and curiosity get the better of him. Unfortunately, his eldest daughter, Abigail (Rebekah Kennedy), is already living through hell as Hank abuses her nightly (“it’s just our little secret…”), but on this occasion, the demon is passed onto her. Abigail runs away from home to escape her ordeal, but the pain she carries means the worst is yet to come.

While some moments are deliberately hard to watch, director Pierre Tsigaridis’ film lives up to its title as being a rollercoaster of disturbing moments. Tsigaridis uses familiar horror tropes in a truly harrowing way as a vehicle to process the trauma of abuse, and possession is the perfect metaphor for the mental anguish survivors suffer.

Told in a non-linear fashion, the first half of the movie has the story place out traditionally, while there’s a shift mid-way, with the narrative moving to the form of a tabloid interview show hosted by Jennifer Novak (Susan Gayle Watts), in which Abigail’s now-grown-up sister, Alice (Emily Goss), talks about surviving the ‘Pasadena murders’, credited to Abigail.

The mood and tension throughout is palpable, particularly when it comes to the sequence early on in which a sheriff (AJ Bowen) searches a seemingly deserted house. It’s devoid of a score for the most part, which helps to ramp up the tension. The cinematography is completely involving, mixing beautiful shots with the truly horrific. This, alongside the impressive soundscape, makes Traumatika an unsettling and compelling watch that will stick with you for quite a while.

TRAUMATIKA screened at Pigeon Shrine FrightFest.