DVD Review: I Am ZoZo

By Brad Henderson

The name ZoZo probably won’t ring a bell with normal folk, but if you know me, you should know I’m not normal. I’ve always been fascinated with stories about ZoZo and loved to read people’s testimonies of their encounters with this so-called demon. If you are clueless about who or what ZoZo is, you can find everything you need to know about him online. There is a small community that believes this is real and many have encountered this demon of sorts through the well-known Ouija board.

I imagine that even some of you reading this have experimented with a Ouija board and maybe (or maybe not) felt a presence or experienced some kind of weird phenomena. Or, you might think it is a bunch of malarkey.

Personally I think it is fun and interesting to take all of these accounts and try to find some kind of truth behind it. You don’t have to believe it, but it makes it a little creepier if you take this seriously. I’m guessing the filmmakers took the story of ZoZo seriously when they crafted this unique and unsettling film.

I Am ZoZo follows a group of young adults in a remote cabin for a weekend who just happen to want to have some fun with the good ole Ouija board. Bad idea, huh? Yep. The film is pretty straightforward and doesn’t really do anything new, but it has this old fashioned feel to it.

I’m not just saying that because they impressively filmed the entire movie on Super 8 . . . or at least it looks like it. I’m saying it is old-fashioned feeling because it felt like it was from the ’80s. But not because it looks old. The setting and setup are exactly what I wanted with a film like this. We don’t need a bunch of exposition from some ZoZo expert; we are presented as much knowledge as these kids have about ZoZo from the beginning.

Kids in a cabin. Ouija board. ZoZo. Bad stuff happens. That is your plot but the way they pull it off is great. Making a film can be tough and making a scary one is very difficult. I’m not saying you will dirty your pants while watching I Am ZoZo, but if you are into this stuff as much as I am, I think you will have a good time.

Looking at the box art for this film, I know it isn’t going to help; sadly, it will be dismissed by many because of how generic it looks. I know it looks like every other DTV film that’s come out since 1998 but I will say I Am ZoZo is way better than what you may think.

After watching this film I also suggest you don’t go looking for ZoZo; you never know what could be on the other end.

I Am ZoZo was released November 19 on DVD through Image Entertainment.