NOW ON VOD! As a cliffhanger suspense thriller, Cognitive lingers beyond the screen and in your thoughts. Writer-director Evan Richards carefully crafts an intriguing timeline of events to keep one guessing without losing their interest. It is clear that this psychological horror film is a nod to Alfred Hitchcock, though a bit more horrific than he would have done.
After Alisha (Rachel Fleischer) encounters a strange and mysterious couple, she begins to question whether she truly is who she thinks she is. In general, Alisha seems happy and is a somewhat interesting young woman, looking for someone to share her life with and perhaps expand her horizons. Her close friend Marilyn (Ratidzo Mambo) is Alisha’s rock. The two love spending all their time together and looking out for each other. But when Alisha and Marilyn meet Karen (Nina Brissey) and her boyfriend, Brandon (Adam Courtin), their world changes.
At a birthday party, Alisha and Marilyn learn about Karen and her so-called gift of clairvoyance. It starts with a calm and inviting statement from Karen to Alisha, saying she would like to give her a free reading because she has sensed something around her. Alisha and Marilyn think it’s a hoax, but small, simple incidents begin to make them believe in her abilities. Karen’s reading for Alisha seems normal until the psychic tells Alisha that a recent accident changed her fate, as she died and her soul was swapped with another. Unnerved, Alisha is in disbelief and now faces the possibility that she could be living an evil life, which is Karen’s sole purpose to destroy once and for all.
“…the psychic tells Alisha that a recent accident changed her fate, as she died and her soul was swapped with another.”
The writing of Karen displays subtle persuasiveness as she cuts an intuitive figure. This is complemented by a solid performance from Brissey, who shares strong screen chemistry with Fleischer. For her part, Fleischer makes a sympathetic lead. Each actor fuels the intrigue and fascination through the nonlinear story structure of Cognitive, which is mysterious, eerie, and suspenseful all at once.
A few surprise appearances give the film some star power. This includes Charles Fleischer as Gary the psychic. He is best known for voicing Roger Rabbit, and has appeared in David Fincher’s Zodiac and Wes Craven’s A Nightmare on Elm Street. In addition, there’s Diana Darrin, who plays Alisha’s neighbor Bonnie. She starred in The Broken Land with Jack Nicholson and is known for roles in classic films like The Incredible Shrinking Man. Plus, her turn in the Academy Award-winning Marty, as well as appearances in the later short films of The Three Stooges.
Richards creatively builds up the emotional weight of the main friendship as well as what happens to Alisha. He adds layers of thrill and suspense at almost every turn. What plays out remains engaging, and the big reveal evokes an Exorcist vibe. Interesting graphics add a modern flair and support the eerie and bizarre plot, which is most effective up until the very end of the film, leaving you bewildered, if not wanting more. Cognitive keeps you guessing until the final scene due to its believable supernatural elements and numerous twists and turns. However, there are plenty of horror elements to appease the dark-minded.
"…evokes an Exorcist vibe."
