Regression

Movie, 2015, R


Premise - Angela Gray accuses her father of molesting her, and the local police department tries to solve the case, only to conjure more and more fear that this case is part of something much bigger. They realize it’s not just about molestation, but possibly satanic ritual abuse, when a psychologist discovers repressed memories.

Review - It is impossible for me to speak about why I support the creation of Regression without spoiling the entire film, so yes, there are spoilers.

I like this movie quite a bit, but it is definitely one that critics and viewers alike tore apart. Here’s what I have to say to the people who didn’t like it: If you didn’t like this movie because of the outcome, you’re missing the entire point of the whole movie. It’s based on true events for a reason, and if the ending was changed for dramatic effect, we're losing a piece of history. Then again, if you didn’t like the film because it’s not very scary or thrilling, I understand that. Regression is not a particularly enjoyable film if you are not into the subject matter, but I happen to be very passionate about this particular subject.

I have read about regression therapies extensively, studied the concept of false memories in both high school and college, and yet somehow I STILL bought into the narrative. Me, of all people, who has a degree in psychology! Somehow, I trusted the psychologist, and believed in his own fantasy just like he and the detective did. Somehow, I believed too. Granted, I approached this movie as a piece of fiction and did not think the claims that it was based on true events were honest. Horror movies make that claim all the time and don't actually mean it, but in this case, it's true. Repressed memories exist and can be recovered, but regression therapy is dangerous and unreliable. It creates false or distorted memories via the power of suggestion. I wasn’t using my head, and I was too scared, and that’s EXACTLY what happened to all of the characters. False memories alone all already a controversial topic, and then when you add the component of collective false memory shared with others.... a collective hysteria… it's all so fascinating and frightening. I encourage people to read research about the psychology behind this. Perhaps the most famous researcher on the topic is Elizabeth Loftus, from the University of Washington, for whom I have much admiration. (73/100)

Quote -  "We believed it. That's the scariest part."

What to watch for - Emma Watson is bae, which is why I saw this film in the first place. She doesn’t have very many scenes but the scenes she does have are very fascinating, especially knowing the entire story. I would particularly watch for the very first scene that she is in. Watch it after you see the ending, and try to understand where her head is at. She’s not the main character, who is the detective, but it is a story about solving her case so she has a rather substantial part. Angela is incredibly emotionally disturbed, claiming she was not only molested and raped but forced to participate in satanic rituals. She’s scared, shy, and skittish, which makes her a fairly one dimensional character until the very end. Emma does this very well. She took on this role right after her mother got a Master’s degree in psychology and went to her for guidance.

If you liked this movie, I'd recommend reading the work of Elizabeth Loftus!

Director: Alejandro Amenabar
Distribution Company: Weinstein Company (bleh.)