There’s a found-footage horror film hidden away on Netflix that’s been hyped as so ‘traumatising’ , people are struggling to finish it. This thrill-seekers ’ gem was added to the streaming platform in 2022 as a Netflix original and has stayed somewhat under the radar since then. But those who have sought out Incantation have heaped praise on it as ‘the scariest horror’ released that year, with many saying it left them ‘scared to death’.
It also became the highest grossing Taiwanese film of all time in that genre, and the top box office draw of 2022, making back nearly six times its original $1 million (£769,000) budget . A supernatural folk horror film, Incantation follows mother Li Ronan (Tsai Hsuan-yen), who is cursed after breaking a religious taboo six years ago while pregnant. Now, she must protect her young daughter Dodo (Huang Sin-ting) – who has spent a spell in foster care – from the consequences of her actions as she tries to bond with her.
Directed by Kevin Ko, the movie amps up its creepiness by encouraging audience participation, with Ronan begging viewers to pray alongside her to protect her daughter near the start. The film’s events are also shown in a non-linear fashion, adding an air of intrigue and confusion. Incantation arrived on Netflix in July after its release, prompting TikTok user @notjustbored_ to dare his followers to try to watch the movie without skipping a scene, falling victim to one of its jump scares, looking away or h.