‘Mind Body Spirit’ Review – Yoga Is Terrifying

Mind Body Spirit is a rare entry in the found footage horror genre; one that has seen countless subpar entries over the years. Since essentially being pioneered by The Blair Witch Project in 1999, we’ve seen popular franchises spawn, such as Paranormal Activity and Hell House, as well as smaller-scale efforts that put a focus on the experimental tendencies of the type. Mind Body Spirit falls with the latter and is a solid reminder that the found footage concept can be really compelling when done well.

And it is very difficult to do well. Relegating a film to an in-screen camera means setting physical rules and boundaries, being careful not to break those rules and boundaries, and inherently giving up the general cinematic quality that comes with shooting on a professional camera. But don’t be fooled by the look alone; Mind Body Spirit is a deeply cinematic experience that breaks walls down in exactly the way films like this should.

The method by which the movie necessitates its found footage angle is through the main character, Anya (Sarah J. Bartholomew), who’s filming herself going through a yoga routine until she discovers a similar, more ritualistic practice left behind by her grandmother… one far more sinister than something like downward dog. Bartholomew is by far the most featured performer here, and she’s really brilliant all the way through. Her portrayal of Anya’s mental deterioration is intimate and expert, and with only 85 minutes to manage it, she goes the extra mile to get the point across.

The runtime being so short assists the pace, too, especially with the film taking place almost entirely in one room. There’s a reliable yet restrained quality brought on by directors Alex Henes and Matthew Merenda that commits the film to a tone of constant eeriness. It never really breaks in either direction; the energy occasionally spikes and the screaming gets a little louder, but it never quite extends itself into truly scary territory. The consistency is nice, and it means a valuable level of immersion, but when the restraint remains the play in the climax, too, it feels like there’s something missing.

In the same way, things often cut away right as they start to break that barrier between eerie and scary, furthering the disparity between the two feelings and even more so exasperating the need for the latter. Multiple times, Anya stands to attention as lights start changing color or things begin to move on their own, and the film cuts away to a one-off joke or in-universe buffer in the footage. These things are excused by the nature of what is meant to be a collection of Anya’s prerecorded videos on some website, but it cheapens the final product.

Still, the eerie atmosphere that it does achieve through the vlog-like lens is a worthy note and one that carries the film over the finish line with relative ease. Henes and Merenda establish serene environments early on for the sole purpose of disturbing them later; the peace is a pipe dream, and you know that going in, but the filmmakers still do a terrific job in setting things up to capitalize on them down the line.

Mind Body Spirit is solid to the core. Everything comes together extraordinarily well for a vision of such voracity. Particularly, as far as found footage horror goes, this is in the upper echelons of quality in regards to recent releases of the same ilk. Horror fans have no reason not to give this one a spin for a fun, well-crafted spook to pass the time until October. Yoga people, though… steer clear.

Mind Body Spirit is currently available on Digital platforms courtesy of Welcome Villain Films.