SEPARATION

SEPARATION is a horror movie about a little girl Jenny haunted by her recently dead mother, Maggie, and protected by a father.

SEPARATION begins with Jenny’s parents constantly fighting. Jeff is an out-of-work, “has been” artist, who stays at home with his daughter and her babysitter. His wife, Maggie, is a successful executive who works long hours. Jenny escapes to a world in her attic, where she has tea with demonic looking puppets made by her father. The puppets come to life and start to wreak havoc in the family home.

One day, one of the demonic puppets pushes Jenny, causing her to hit her head. It’s the last straw for Maggie. She demands a divorce. Maggie employs the help of her wealthy father to win sole custody of Jenny. Maggie is verbally abusive to Jeff, throwing out derisive and insulting comments in rapid fire. Jeff begs Maggie to change her mind. He asks her why she wants Jenny if she’ll hardly ever see her due to work. Maggie’s last words are, “Because she is mine.” At that moment, she’s brutally taken out by a car.

Jeff has sole custody. Jenny reverts to baby talk and talking with ghosts. She looks for consolation from her dad. He suggests that she make friends with the “monster.” The monster turns out to be her mother.

Jeff begins to see frightening images and draws them for his new comic book characters. His publishing boss is in love with dark images. He inquires about the inspiration for the drawings. Jeff confides in him regarding the haunting of his daughter. The boss advises Jeff that the ghosts are a direct result of the death of his estranged wife. He suggests that Jenny’s mother still wants full custody of her in the afterlife. He asserts that Maggie is no longer Maggie, or even Jenny’s mother, but only a lost soul full of rage. Her only objective is to inflict pain on the living. As a result of the man’s advice, Jeff thinks the only solution is to make peace with Maggie and the demonic forces around her.

Using a conjuring spirit tool kit in a wooden box, Jeff has a seance in his living room. He hasn’t had trouble contacting his dead wife before now, so it’s a wonder why he needs the conjuring kit, complete with a “special” drink. Be that as it may, Jeff’s plan goes awry.

The problems with this movie are almost too many to list. Besides giving bad advice and setting a bad example, Jeff isn’t a good father. He leaves his daughter often with the incompetent babysitter with whom he gets high and watches cartoons. The father is never sympathetic. The movie depicts him as a victim of a raging wife, even after she’s dead.

SEPARATION is a slow moving, dull, unimaginative story of family drama, trauma and the occult. It’s neither scary nor interesting. The movie is driven by occult philosophy, accident and murder-related violence, jump scares, and nearly a dozen “f” words along with some other foul language. SEPARATION is an unacceptable, unappealing, abhorrent occult movie with no redemptive content.