THE SUMMONING | ©2026 Brainstorm Media

Rating: Not Rated
Stars: Valeria San Martin, Justina Ceballos, Daniela Flombaum, Augustín Olcese, Nannu Spannauss, Aaron Burt, Xochitl Gomez, Lorelei Olivia Mote, Gigi Zumbado, Carmela Zumbado, Julia Vera, Paige Bourne, Peter Berwick, Sara Canning, Adam Lolacher, Andrew Roy Drury, Mark Kandborg
Writers: Camilo Zaffora, Brandon Piskonik, Felipe Vargas, Vee Saieh, Corey Benson Powers, Brian Sepanzyk, concept by Michael Kraetzer
Directors: Sergio Gonzalez, Brandon Piskorik, Felipe Vargas, Corey Benson Powers, Brian Sepanzyk
Distributor: Brainstorm Media
Release Date: June 5, 2026 (VOD)

THE SUMMONING is a horror anthology with a wraparound story that involves invoking a spirit via a mirror (a la the Bloody Mary myth or CANDYMAN, to name a few examples).

In THE SUMMONING, the “Baby Blue” ritual can summon the ghost of a baby into one’s arms. If the baby is not set down in time, the baby’s ghostly mother (Nannu Spannauss) appears in the mirror, and she won’t be happy. Part of the challenge is to tell a spooky story before attempting to summon the ghosts, which is how the assorted short tales come into it.

The framing sequences, directed by Sergio Gonzalez and scripted by Camilo Zaffora, involve babysitter Laura (Valeria San Martin), whose pals Stacy (Justina Caballos), Maureen (Daniela Flombaum) and eventually Maureen’s boyfriend Hunter (Augustín Olcese) show at the house where Laura is watching a baby. Maureen proposes that they do the Baby Blue Challenge, which apparently is all the rage online.

Anyone watching THE SUMMONING will immediately know this is a catastrophically terrible idea, but since that seldom stops a viral sensation, our group goes for it.

Apparently the filmmakers were concerned that the movie might not get to its scares quickly enough via Laura and her friends, because THE SUMMONING starts with the segment “The Scarecrow” before we get to the babysitter, et al. Written and directed by Brandon Piskorik, this is a quiet, brisk piece about a driver (Aaron Burt) on a foggy highway who has a problem with scarecrows blocking the road.

Directed and written by Felipe Vargas, “Hive” takes place on a playground, where beleaguered Sasha (Xochitl Gomez) is having a tough time wrangling her energetic young charge Val (Lorelei Olivia Mote), even before things get creepy.

Also directed by Vargas but written by Vee Saieh, “Carnivora” has two sisters (real-life siblings Gigi Zumbado and Carmela Zumbado) dealing with their grandmother (Julia Vera). This takes familial obligation vs. personal freedom and cranks the subject matter all the way up, with some unusually gross material.

“Locksmith,” written and directed by Corey Benson Powers, has a young woman (Paige Bourne) dealing with a menacing locksmith (Pete Berwick). So far as we can tell, there’s nothing supernatural or twisty in this segment, just a fast cautionary ad for not letting strange workers into one’s home.

The last short is “In the Shadow of God,” written and directed by Brian Sepanzyk. Rachel (Sara Canning) returns to the home where she grew up. Her father (Mark Kandborg) has died under bizarre circumstances that soon seem to spread through the neighborhood. This has the movie’s best jump scare, although the piece remains fairly enigmatic as far as cause and effect.

Unlike some other horror anthologies, THE SUMMONING doesn’t attempt to tie its individual short films to one another and/or to the framework, something that is awesome when it works and frustrating when it doesn’t; here, it’s just avoided. Except for “Scarecrow,” there are common thematic elements about children and guardianship, so it all feels somewhat connected.

It also helps that, even though the crews and locations are different from segment to segment – THE SUMMONING is an Argentinian production, but some installments were made in the U.S. and Canada – there is a similarity in production style. Even the gore has some continuity.

The characters in the framing segment seem a little old to be doing something so potentially unhealthy. In fact, when Hunter arrives, he seems alarmed that the women have started the ritual, even though it was reportedly his suggestion in the first place.

There’s also a bit of a narrative glitch. The instructions for the summoning state that the fear-inducing yarn should be told before the teller goes into the bathroom and locks the door, but in practice, everyone goes into the bathroom and then tells the story alone. Not only is this counter to what we’ve just heard, it also doesn’t make dramatic sense, since getting reactions from the cluster of friends would seem to be the point.

Still, THE SUMMONING is an eerie, mostly pleasing variety pack. It may not provide many answers, but it has plenty of atmosphere and weirdness.

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