Freddy's 31 Days of Horror Day 24: Tobe Hooper's Djinn
Tobe Hooper is most famously known for giving us Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Poltergeist. He's had several movies such as Lifeforce that have achieved cult status but he has a definitive taste for making very different and not commercially friendly films. One of the reasons we horror geeks love him. He's had several hit and miss films over the years but his latest film Djinn, which started production in 2011 for a 2012 release, has been on the back burner unreleased until recently. It is the first supernatural film to be told in both English and Arabic and was written by David Tully, who came up with the idea after visiting a village which as legend says was plagued by the Djinn. There are many reasons it is said Djinn was delayed. Some have cited that post production took too long, others have said that the Abu Dhabi Royal family didn't want it released as horror films are too foreign of a concept to them. Whatever the case may be, many of us have eagerly awaited to see what Tobe Hooper had crafted for us, especially given the rarity for us to see such a joint venture of a film set in the United Arab Emirates. The wait is over as it seems we may finally view this on Netflix this month!
"When Allah created the heavens and Earth, he created humans from clay and angels from light. But he created another being from fire: Djinn. Allah separated human from djinn, but sometimes those worlds cross and this always creates great suffering..." This information begins the film as we are then introduced to Salam and Khalid, an Emirati couple living in America grieving the loss of their child. Salam is taking it the hardest and has completely shut down. In an attempt to try and reconnect Salam to a more hopeful demeanor, Khalid takes a job working for a new luxury resort back home in the United Arab Emirates so Salam can be closer to her family, as Khalid has never known his. The resort itself is built on top of an old fishing village where one of the worst djinn legends happened. A djinn named Um Al Duwais, loved a man in the village and bore him a half djinn, half human child. She broke into the man's home and killed his human baby, replacing it with her own. Unaware of the legend, Khalid and Salam move into the new luxury tower and experience one of the most terrifying and revealing days of their lives, haunted by the Djinn's trickery.
There are a lot of parallels of the Djinn's story and Salam's, which is one of the reasons the Djinn is drawn to her. The Djinn also knows all of your sins and punishes you for them. As the film progresses we discover most of the characters all have some dark secret they are hiding, which gives the first half of the movie a melodramatic feel of complete tragedy. Both Salam and Khalid have something to hide whether they realize it or not, these realizations are where the true horror comes from and what draws the Djinn to torture them.
There's also a definite disconnect between Salam and Khalid through their cultures. Salam wants nothing to do with her point of origin and wants to forget her roots while Khalid not knowing his family but respecting his heritage is more than happy to re-immerse himself in his culture. Respect of the culture plays a big part in the film as those who build the resort don't respect it and the worst comes to Salam who doesn't embrace it. Salam is especially tortured by visions of the Djinn with the loss of her child, while Khalid is shown fever dreams and lapses in time. The Djinn uses their confusion to drive them further and further apart so they cannot help each other through the horror. 
The Djinn itself is pretty cool. A lot of reviewers have complained that it's movements are very reminiscent of the grudge, but what I thought interesting was it moved more like an ink blot, very fluid when it hovers and shadowy, but when it is on the ground it definitely moved a bit like Samara. It's covered in cloak and shadow which gives it a small difference but not much. I still enjoyed the design and concepts of how it interacts with people. What I think people forget is the Djinn itself can possess those who sin. It can see your sins and use them against you. It is very tricky and shows you what you try to hide to hurt you the most. It can also show you what you want, to get you to do what it wants. That's where the Djinn ultimately succeeds is in the visions it gives to the couple. There are a lot of predictable jump scares but theres enough of an original creature brought to life by the legend to keep you interested throughout.
Emirati director, Nayla Al Khaja helped Hooper out as a cultural consultant and it shows in the production. Every bit of care and sensitivity was put into making this project to bring a legend to life from another place. The actors and crew never even said aloud the word Djinn while on set and even covered the film's name up in the director's chair. The film was definitely a combination of Rosemary's Baby and even Poltergeist, but the rich Emirati legends and culture make this film so different. What makes this succeed the most in my eyes is that it's such a departure from what we're used to seeing from Tobe Hooper. Sure the jump scares aren't that great and some of the concepts are rehashes but Hooper has given us a tragedy from another land with such rich background and untapped stories. These characters and what they represent are what really drive this movie. The ending is a little predictable with the way the film sets it up but it is still a very cool story. Was it worth the wait? It's not the best movie ever, but it's concept and execution are well done and so different from what we're used to seeing that it's worth the watch! I definitely think with age this will be another cult Tobe Hooper film!
Seven more days til' Halloween Halloween!
Seven more days til' Halloween! Silver Shamrock!
