If you were born dead, were you ever alive?

You’ve never seen a film more “not-your-fault” oriented than this one.

From the producers of The Purge and Insidious, Jessabelle tells the story of a young woman in her late 20s who is unexpectedly thrown into a chaotic nightmare. The film opens in the most cliché way possible—everything is perfect, life is great. I can’t stress enough how basic that setup is. But, to be fair, it serves its purpose: it sets us up for shock. That fleeting moment of peace is brutally interrupted by devastation.

That being said, I have to give credit where it’s due—the car accident scene is incredibly well done. It’s one of the first times I’ve seen a crash depicted so realistically from a first-person perspective inside the vehicle. The cinematography and sound design really make you feel it.

Following the accident, Jessabelle is hospitalized and left paraplegic, unable to walk. This is a refreshing twist in a horror film, where characters are usually able to run, making their inevitable chase scenes predictable. Here, the horror isn’t something she can physically escape—it’s her past. Or, more accurately, something that was never hers to begin with.

I’ll explain.

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WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

Jessabelle’s mother, a seemingly ordinary white woman, had other interests besides her husband (not the most unique plot twist, I know). For reasons left somewhat unclear, she became involved with a man named Moses, who practiced Voodoo. (For context, Voodoo is a religious practice combining African spiritual traditions with Roman Catholic elements, often associated with spirit possession and rituals.)

Through Moses, Jessabelle’s mother learned tarot card reading, a fascinating (and eerie) practice. Knowing she was dying of cancer, she began recording videotapes for her unborn daughter, foretelling her future.

Now, here’s where things take a dark turn.

Jessabelle’s mother had an affair with Moses and became pregnant. When the baby was born, it was obviously not her husband’s. In a fit of berserk rage, the husband killed the newborn in a shockingly brutal manner. He then murdered Moses, shot him in the stomach, and set his house on fire. To cover up the crime, the couple adopted a baby girl—Jessie.

Before taking her own life, Jessabelle’s mother placed a curse on Jessie, binding her to this twisted history.

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Sarah Snook as Jessie

First off, Sarah Snook killed this role. Her facial expressions alone were so intense that you could feel every ounce of fear, confusion, and heartbreak. Watching her react to the insanity unfolding around her was almost mesmerizing.

Poor Jessie… Seriously.

Let’s get one thing straight: Jessie did absolutely nothing wrong. She was adopted into this cursed family, had no clue she wasn’t biologically related to them, and had zero knowledge of the tragic past she was now suffering for.

And yet—her fate is beyond unfair.

That Ending Though…

Jessie is literally killed and replaced by the “real” Jessabelle in the end. Yep. The spirit of the murdered baby takes over, as if this was some grand act of karmic justice.

But… what exactly did Jessie deserve?

The father? Sure, he deserved to burn for what he did. But Jessie? She was innocent. She wasn’t responsible for what happened, didn’t even know the truth until it was too late, and yet, she was erased as if she was the villain.

The fuck? Make it make sense.

If this was meant to be some twisted revenge story—where the spirit of the real Jessabelle gets justice—it falls apart under scrutiny. Revenge on the father? Understandable. But swapping out Jessie for the original daughter? That’s just cruel.

If you have a different take, I’d love to hear it. Fight me in the comments.

If you enjoy spiritual possession, haunted pasts, identity confusion, and an unfair blame game, Jessabelle is worth a watch. Just be prepared for an ending that might leave you equal parts frustrated and fascinated.