‘Jimmy Jaguar’ Review: An Atypical Hungarian Horror Flick That’s More Provocative Than Frightening

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Film director Bence Fliegauf from Hungary is quite distinct from mainstream cinema, yet he’s dabbled with diverse Hollywood genres. For instance, he made the 2010 English-language sci-fi film “Womb,” featuring Eva Green and Lesley Manville. However, his films are frequently complex and challenging to categorize, which might account for why he’s been a frequent figure on film festivals for close to two decades without much cinematic exposure in theaters.

The new film from our director, titled “Jimmy Jaguar“, offers an intriguing yet puzzling experience, being both captivating and infuriating at times. Initially, it might be marketed as a blend between the Hungarian version of “The Blair Witch Project” and “Insidious”, utilizing a mock-documentary style to delve into a storyline of demonic possession involving a band of outcasts residing in the countryside. However, unlike conventional horror films, it lacks jump scares, gory scenes or any bloodshed, instead failing to instill fear in its audience. Rather, it functions as a contemplation on the essence of horror, examining how it permeates our everyday lives, which are brimming with their own horrors.

As a captivated viewer, I found myself both intrigued and unsettled by the film during its debut at Karlovy Vary, where it incited a continuous flow of early exits. Yet, Fliegauf, an undeniably talented director, masterfully crafted this work, filling it with chilling depictions of everyday scenes – eerie roads shrouded in darkness, deserted pets, and isolated farmhouses that seep into our very being. Though not explicitly terrifying, Jimmy Jaguar leaves those who persevere with a lingering sense of unease, as if the world had subtly shifted and fallen out of balance.

The plot seems tailor-made for Jason Blum’s expertise, as he could amplify the tension significantly, potentially making this concept a blockbuster success. In a remote region of Hungary, an unusual pair – Seed (played by Erik Major) and Marci Balfi (portrayed by Krisztian Peer) – have been detained for abducting and isolating a solitary woodsman. They assert that a demon named Jimmy Jaguar, or Jagu, took control of their spirits, compelling them to carry out this act.

However, it’s important to note that the person abducted is actually a Serbian war criminal, who had been evading arrest by the Hague for years while residing in Hungary. The kidnappers claim they were unaware of his identity, but the off-screen documentarian implies that their act was driven purely by vengeance.

Is Jimmy Jaguar real or just a fictitious scapegoat used by the perpetrators? Throughout the movie, Fliegauf poses this question, making it more intricate by introducing additional characters claimed to be under Jaguar’s control. These characters include a pregnant girl (Juli Jakab) who believes she was impregnated by a demon similar to Rosemary’s Baby, a woman (Nora Jakab) running a mysterious commune where one of the abductors takes a vow of silence, and two young adults (Aliz Solyom, Lilla Kizlinger) who are fond of Jimmy Jaguar and work at an outdoor shelter filled with cats and dogs that appear to be possessed as well.

In every scene, Jimmy Jaguar subtly employs classic horror tropes: from the footage resembling found scenes, ominous music building suspense, to settings that seem designed for gruesome acts. Interestingly, despite these elements, there’s barely any on-screen violence – this can be seen as a missed opportunity and yet, in another light, it’s impressive. The film is essentially a horror movie minus the graphic horrors; it’s like censors edited out anything that might earn an R rating, leaving behind only the chilling aftermath of potential incidents.

Nevertheless, the director incorporates some predictable twists that border on cheesy, particularly in the final act. At this stage, we’re left pondering whether Jimmy Jaguar, initially introduced as a character from a haunting Hungarian children’s tune from the 1970s, is genuine or not. Fliegauf convenes a team of specialists – such as a psychiatrist (Gyorgy Banko), an anthropologist (Vilma Fozy) and the detective (Eszter Balla) who interrogated the kidnappers at the beginning of the film – to discuss this conundrum, recording their deliberations in a manner reminiscent of a live talk show.

Another approach to separating the audience from anything unsettling is by emphasizing that horror isn’t just about jump scares from closets or behind trees, but rather the sinister presence that lurks everywhere and the dread it instills. This method might not win over viewers seeking a scary experience in Jimmy Jaguar, but Fliegauf has never aimed to persuade anyone other than himself.

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2025-07-08 23:54