New Showbiz

You are here:
London Voodoo

London Voodoo

2004

Director

Robert Pratten

Runtime

90 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

Synopsis

When ambitious analyst Lincoln Mathers (played by Doug Cockle) relocates his family from New York to London, his wife Sarah (Sara Stewart) discovers a new disturbing power and becomes hostage to an ancient spirit. As Mathers notices that the family is tearing apart and that his wife's behavior becomes more violent and erratic, he accepts that to save the woman he married he must take a leap of faith. London Voodoo is one of the few films about voodoo to show the belief system in a positive light. Here, it's "work" that's evil. The film shows multicultural voodoo followers in a contemporary urban setting (London). As research for the script, the filmmakers travelled to Cuba, Miami and New Orleans to experience voodoo first hand.

Where to Watch

Diversity & Representation

Overall Score

6.3/10

Good

Category Breakdown

LGBTQ+ Representation

Limited

The narrative focuses on a traditional nuclear family unit. There is no evidence of LGBTQ+ characters or themes regarding non-cisnormative identities.

Gender Representation

Fair

The plot centers on a wife seizing a disturbing power, subverting the stable spouse trope. However, this shift is framed through horror possession rather than empowerment.

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

Good

The film features a multicultural voodoo community within a contemporary London setting. This approach provides agency to non-white practitioners in an urban Western environment.

Religious & Cultural Diversity

Excellent

Voodoo is portrayed as a legitimate, multifaceted belief system rather than a monolithic evil. This challenges colonialist perspectives and Western-centric spiritual frameworks.

Disability Representation

Minimal

There is no discernible evidence regarding the portrayal of physical or neurodivergent disabilities within the film.

Strengths

  • Intentional portrayal of voodoo as a legitimate, multifaceted belief system.
  • Effective use of a multicultural community within a contemporary urban setting.
  • Avoidance of superficial caricatures through dedicated ethnographic research.

Areas for Improvement

  • Reliance on traditional horror tropes regarding female characters and possession.
  • Lack of representation for LGBTQ+ identities and non-cisnormative themes.
  • Absence of visible disability representation or neurodivergent characters.

AI Analysis

London Voodoo distinguishes itself in the horror genre by treating its central spiritual theme with ethnographic respect. By moving voodoo from tropical stereotypes into a modern London landscape, the film successfully deconstructs racial and geographic expectations. The film's strength lies in its nuanced cultural architecture. It avoids the common pitfall of using non-Western religions as mere shorthand for evil, instead presenting a complex view of spiritual agency. However, the film remains limited by traditional genre tropes. The gender dynamics rely on the 'erratic woman' archetype, and the lack of queer representation keeps the social scope narrow.

How are these scores produced? →

Rate this Movie

No rating selected
Use arrow keys to select a rating from 1 to 5 stars
Optional text review, maximum 2000 characters
Tip: Wrap spoilers with ||double pipes|| to hide them
0/2000 characters
You must be signed in to submit a rating

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts on this movie!

Use the rating form above to leave a star rating and optional review.