The new indie horror film Traumatika opens with a title card informing us of the “five forms of childhood trauma,” unsubtly announcing what’s about to happen over the next 80 minutes. Then we’re in the Egyptian desert, circa 1910, watching an anguished man bury a sinister-looking figurine in the sand. Only then do we arrive in the 21st century, where terrible things are very much afoot.

The flashback adds a little bit of context, but it feels unnecessary; a cursed object is a not-uncommon horror trope . The didactic explanation of childhood trauma, though, is definitely unnecessary. Thankfully, Traumatika eventually shows a bit more confidence in its audience, delivering a story that’s clearly aiming to freak you out and often succeeds.

In 2003, in a run-down cottage in Pasad

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