June (2015)

Crucial, with a film concerning a deeply troubled child, is the casting of the titular character. It is with relief to note that 9 year-old June is played by Kennedy Brice with all the awkwardness and sense of isolation required of an 'outsider', but she never slides into petulance or brattishness. After a difficult early life on a trailer park, she is adopted by Dave Anderson (mightily-jawed 'Starship Troopers' and 'Sleepy Hollow' actor Casper Van Dien) and his wife Lily (Victoria Pratt). The way their wholesome veneer of eager goodwill slowly becomes fragmented by June's strange behaviour is well played.And yet June is as much the victim of her 'possession' as anyone. Rather like early onset Alzheimer's disease, her moments of clarity are very appealing and heart-breaking, merged as they are by the bewilderment she feels as to her condition: she shares her body with an ancient supernatural being, of course. "She's a very special girl," we are told.Rather like a pre-teen 'Carrie (1976)', this tells the tale of one person's frightening possession very well, but where it doesn't deliver is ramping up the actual scares. The usually effective blackening-of-eyes effect used to signify inner darkness is creepy enough, but around the midway mark, it becomes apparent that this is as frightening as things are going to get.Ultimately, 'June' starts with a lot of promise, but finds itself constricted by its approach to the story of demonic possession and goes more than a bit 'sci-fi' towards the end. This nullifies any ability to scare and loses the connection with the audience in its carefully built-up first half. It is well done, but emerges somewhat tamer than I would have liked.

I like June, the movie, the character is a bit on the taciturn side. However, June is dual booted with Aer, a goddess that seems to see humanity as a virus that needs to be eradicated ("Fire will illuminate the sky and the ashes of man will rain down.") When they try for the sacrifice, Aer kills everyone with the exception of the teenage Lily who carries June away.So the movie opens with a couple (are they a couple?) dressing a baby and taking her to some gathering in the woods. It appears, although it is never stated, that this is where Aer possesses June. Yet, later in the movie we hear Aer tell June, "You are my vessel. Before people, before machines, there was only us." suggesting that the connection between Aer and June is much older than we want to think. June is a bit taciturn, keeps to herself, so naturally kids have to pick on her. This really doesn't work out too well for them because when Aer has decided June has taken enough she ends it. The scene at the trailer park where Aer lays all flat, in the trailer Aer's power scorched the trailer park and burned all of June's tormentors (I wish they would have left the scene with the fire as it fits the things Aer says.)There is a CPS worker that wants to sacrifice June to whatever. He removes June form the trailer park foster home to a new home with affluent parents, Dave and Lily Anderson. Unbeknownst to Lily, at first, this is a reunion. At this house Aer gets annoyed with Dave, '...and you, Dave, will be the first to die." Lily keeps wanting to meet Aer, but Aer is present and speaking every now and again, so Lily has spoken to her.CPS dude kidnaps Aer to take her back to the place of sacrifice in the woods, same place as nine years earlier. They get the same results as nine years past, only Lily and June walk away."You all came from the goddess to her you shall return. Like drops of rain falling into the ocean bodies will fall, and, Dave, you shall be first to die."I like this movie. Kennedy Brice is a good actress. I do feel things were left out. There are issues with consistency, that are minor. I like the dual booted, June/Aery character. I wish they were developed more. But I've seen it the way it is 40-50 times and will see it another 40-50 times over the years.

This awful combination of unknown doctrine, silence and goofs which were gathered in 84 minutes worth nothing at all.Firstly, The religious part was fogy, unclear and just black. This "Harm" soul suppose to destroy the world! while it doesn't kill anybody even those who were close to her. and did nothing except to broke some dishes and drops some rain. I think, The characters which should represents the world were few! only fife or six! and the places were not better, Not more than 4 or 5 places!It is obvious that The time was not divided in a smooth way since the film summarized in the first and last 15 minutes. and lastly, The goofs are unforgeable (see the goofs part).Simply I don't recommend it.

"Stop it, Aery. Why are you doing this? You are a vessel. Before people, before machines, there is only us."Mix the ingredients from several successful films and you get as end result something like "June". It's not terribly bad, but it isn't very original and exciting either. Even the biggest coward can effortlessly watch this film with all the lights off. "June" is the least creepy horror I've ever seen. Do you remember Drew Barrymore as Charlie in "Firestarter", the sweet girl who could cause a fire just by thinking of it? Or Carrie in the eponymous film who sow the seeds of death and destruction when she was p*ssed off? June (Kennedy Brice) has similar, telekinetic powers when she gets angry. Or is there a demonic force at work making her as possessed as Regan in "The Exorcist"? Eventually, it all has to do with a primal force called "Aer", which took possession of June during an occult rite. A rite that wasn't finalized perfectly. During that ceremony June was taken away by one of the participants at the last minute. Lets start with the positive remarks. Although it clearly is a low-budget film, there are still some successful fragments. First there's the changing appearance of June. In particular her eyes. Not that it's innovative, but it reinforced her demonic character. As well as the limited number of scenes where we can witness June's strength. Like for example at the barbecue. But above all, I had great admiration for the young actress Brice. There wasn't much dialogue for her. Probably because of her rather timid and introverted personality. But in general she looked really natural as a young, fragile girl who has to deal with her inner demon. An everyday struggle, attempting to maintain control.What remains is simply doom and gloom. The shown ritual at the beginning looks really kitschy and when the cult members call upon Aer to take possession of June and this power descends, it just looks as if the wisps of smoke are pasted on the image. Terrible special effects in other words. And there were a few situations that really annoyed me. Firstly, apparently the conditions to be suitable as adoptive family, are abominably bad when you look at the first family. An asocial family with a fat guy resembling Onslow (from Keeping Up Appearances) and a cigarette smoking bimbo who probably works as a prostitute. Compared to them, Lily Anderson (Victoria Pratt) and Dave Anderson (Casper van Dien) are outright saints who radiate comprehensive affection. They're impatient to take on the task of caring father and mother. Perhaps a little overdone because already the first night they start asking June the pertinent question whether or not she wants to call Lily her "Mommy". With disappointed looks as a result of course. This was totally implausible and totally stupid.But especially the storyline is a huge disappointment. Nothing spectacular happens so to speak. The end of the film is so trivial, I can't even remember what it was anyway (perhaps I fell asleep). So if you never saw "Carrie", "Firestarter", "The Exorcist" or any other film whatsoever with a possessed, demonic character who has control over psychic powers, then you should definitely give this one a chance. More reviews here : http://bit.ly/1KIdQMT