Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
What starts as a poignant medical documentary about Deborah Logan's descent into Alzheimer's disease and her daughter's struggles as caregiver degenerates into a maddening portrayal of dementia at its most frightening, as hair-raising events begin to plague the family and crew and an unspeakable malevolence threatens to tear the very fabric of sanity from them all.
The Taking of Deborah Logan is a standout entry in the found-footage horror subgenre, elevated almost entirely by Jill Larson's genuinely unsettling and committed performance as Deborah — one of the best in any found-footage film. The Alzheimer's framing is a clever and affecting hook that gives the early scares real emotional weight. However, the plot loses coherence as it pivots from grounded medical horror to more conventional supernatural possession and serial killer mythology, diluting the original premise's power. The cinematography is competent found-footage work with a few memorably disturbing images (the snake sequence in particular). The ending stumbles, failing to stick the landing after a strong buildup, and feels rushed and unsatisfying. Novelty is moderate — it uses a familiar format but the Alzheimer's angle and Larson's performance give it a distinctive personality.