Jett Klyne stars as Elliot in “Shaman” (Photo Credit: Well Go USA Entertainment).
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(“Shaman” trailer courtesy Well Go USA Entertainment)
Is Satan really inferior to God?
The answer seems obvious to true believers in God.
But even Christians often give the devil too much credit than he deserves, right?
Yes, the devil can tempt a believer.
But he cannot overcome a believer’s faith, can he?
More importantly, how much belief does a true believer truly have?
The movie “Shaman” tries to shake the supernatural power dynamic and determine what “deity” truly reigns supreme.
In “Shaman,” Christian missionaries Candice (Sara Canning, “War for the Planet of the Apes”), Joel (Daniel Gillies) and their son Elliot (Jett Klyne, “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness”) have traveled to a remote Ecuadorian volcano town to convert the Indigenous people to Christ.
The family has also brought clean water and health clinics to the community.
Furthermore, the missionaries teach the Indigenous people the English language and their way of life.
Christian missionaries have always spread the Gospel to people who had not learned about the Gospel.
But the criticism many have had for some White Christian missionaries is that they pass their way of life to other countries, not just the Good News of Christ’s resurrection.
In “Shaman,” many of the Indigenous people welcome the missionaries with open arms.
The Christian missionary family becomes like family to many of the members of the Indigenous community.
“Shaman” begins with a beautiful visual of the Ecuadorian countryside and then transitions into a baptismal scene that is equally beautiful.
Furthermore, the way that Elliot has become close friends with some of the Indigenous children is also beautiful.
But like all children, Elliot and his comrades often bend their parents’ rule book and do things that they are forbidden to do, like playing certain video games.
While playing video games will not necessarily cause much harm, breaking some rules might actually do damage to them and the growing Christian community in the remote volcano town of Ecuador.
In “Shaman,” Elliot’s prized possession, other than his video game console and his grandfather’s old watch, is his toy airplane, which flies so majestically in the South American sky through the mountains and lakes.
But when Elliot’s toy airplane ventures off a little too far and enters an eerie cave, his crew warns him not to go into the cave.
Elliot’s Indigenous friends tell him that their parents have forbidden them from entering the cave.
Wanting to retrieve his toy airplane, however, Elliot ignores his friends’ warning and retrieves that prized possession.
Walking up to the entrance of the cave seems frightening to Elliott.
Nevertheless, he proceeds to enter.
Finding his toy airplane, he seeks to retrieve it.
But he is grabbed by an old man with long hair who must live like a hermit in the cave.
Elliot runs off, not too worried about what just happened.
But sometimes life-changing events develop over a long course of time, and the true impact is not felt until much later.
Despite breaking a few rules, Elliot has bigger fish to fry in the coming days.
It is time for his confirmation in the new Catholic church that his parents have helped build for the new converts to Christianity.
However, before the confirmation, Elliot begins acting strangely.
He begins wandering off.
Additionally, his demeanor is different and a little frightening.
In “Shaman,” Candice begins noticing changes in Elliot before Joel does.
Candice knows about the shaman who lives in the cave.
The shaman has different beliefs.
He and his followers might not even like the conversions to Christianity that they are observing.
But what can they do about it?
The shaman might practice witchcraft and devil worship.
They may believe in putting spells on their enemies.
But what does that matter to a true believer in Christ?
Nothing.
But what if there are cracks in a Christian’s armor?
What if there is doubt?
Could the devil prey on that weakness?
And can the shaman and his followers capitalize on that weakness to adversely impact the Christian conversions right under their noses?
“Shaman” is not earth-shattering.
But it is a solid horror picture with good performances, especially from young Klyne.
His transformation from the mischievous pre-teen to the spawn of Satan is chilling.
The scary thing is that even though Elliot might be demon-possessed, he seems unaware of his dark side.
Others, like his mom and Inti (Matilde Lagos), can sense the darkness in him.
But he cannot.
Elliot even goes forward with his confirmation.
More importantly, Candice allows him to go through with his confirmation even though she begins seeing visions of his true transformation.
The demonic presence in Elliot has come to kill, steal and destroy.
However, the devil is not God’s equal.
But the devil gains a foothold when believers, even the clergy, begin doubting their faith and the strength of Jesus Christ.
While many Christians have an issue with horror movies because of the demonic themes, those movies still possess some truth in them.
Many Christians have faith when things are going well.
But when some come face-to-face with death and destruction, they get confronted with their own inner doubts.
Those doubts become the devil’s playground, and he does not play fair or want to see anyone win.
So “Shaman” deals more with people’s faith being inferior to what they proclaim it to be, and how that allows Satan to enter to do his dirty business.
REGAL RATINGS
FOUR CROWNS=EXCELLENT
THREE CROWNS=GOOD
TWO CROWNS=AVERAGE
ONE CROWN=POOR
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