Three high school students obtain an ancient and dangerous Aztec idol. Pretty soon an evil spirit gets unleashed and possesses the body of a young man who steals it for his own nefarious purposes. Writers/directors Jeffrey Obrow and Stephen Carpenter relate the compelling story at a steady pace, do an able job of crafting a strong gloom-doom atmosphere, maintain a grimly serious tone throughout, deliver a few nice bits of gore, firmly ground the fantastic premise in a credible everyday reality, make nice use of funky practical effects, and pull out all the exciting stops at the lively climax. Moreover, Obrow and Carpenter warrant extra points not only for presenting believable characters who actually look like real people, but also for covering some inspired and interesting largely uncharted territory with the novel Aztec religion hook. The decent acting from a competent non-star cast rates as another major asset, with especially praiseworthy contributions from Susan Stokey as spunky newspaper writer Sandy, Warren Lincoln as the amiable Jerry, Lisa Erikson as the perky Julie, and J. Dinan Myrtetus as the obsessed Francis Lott. Carpenter's proficient cinematography provides a fairly polished look. Christopher Young's spirited shivery score hits the stirring spine-tingling spot. A cool little fright flick.
Review of The Power
