I've said it before and I'll say it again, there's way to many people making movies just for the sake of making movies and nothing more. Hollywood spawns a lot of big budget movies with impressive special effects that if you scratch the surface even just a bit, You immediately see that it completely lacks personality or artistic value. Well, this is one of those but without the impressive special effects which without, has absolutely nothing to offer.
8 Reviews
Snarky demons
BandSAboutMovies22 February 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Ian Parker is a former army lieutenant who learns of the death of his mother, who he's cut out of her life. Her past is filled with strange behavior and as a result, he's lived a life cut off from humanity, crashing through bad relationships and struggling through life. Now, he's returned home to learn the secrets of his mother and why she died.
The pact that Ian's mother made with demons not only makes him in their debt, but his young son as well. He must battle six demonic bounty hunters if he has any hope to lead a normal life.
If you like gruff dudes being snarky and demons swearing as they spit black blood, then this is the film for you. It's the only demonic possession movie I've ever seen that has a dramatic monologue about a cat after the lead characters kill one of the fallen angels, so it has that going for it.
The pact that Ian's mother made with demons not only makes him in their debt, but his young son as well. He must battle six demonic bounty hunters if he has any hope to lead a normal life.
If you like gruff dudes being snarky and demons swearing as they spit black blood, then this is the film for you. It's the only demonic possession movie I've ever seen that has a dramatic monologue about a cat after the lead characters kill one of the fallen angels, so it has that going for it.
Three out of Ten
RandomFlux15 February 2020
Warning: Spoilers
That's an hour and a half of my life I'm never getting back.
The Good: Excellent use of space. They must have saved a pile on location shooting because most of this takes place in an unnamed plot of forest. They did a good job on the makeup and effects for the monsters for a B-movie budget. The plot has potential.
The Bad: The actors weren't exactly bad but they're not exactly great either. Everyone is pretty stiff. The lead guy isn't too bad.
The movie drags in the middle while they're slogging through the forest. There are some obvious plot holes that you have to ignore because hey, it's a movie, so suspend your disbelief.
The story is laid out by the characters at the start and that is exactly what proceeds to happen, right up to the predictable ending.
Would I recommend this? No.
The Good: Excellent use of space. They must have saved a pile on location shooting because most of this takes place in an unnamed plot of forest. They did a good job on the makeup and effects for the monsters for a B-movie budget. The plot has potential.
The Bad: The actors weren't exactly bad but they're not exactly great either. Everyone is pretty stiff. The lead guy isn't too bad.
The movie drags in the middle while they're slogging through the forest. There are some obvious plot holes that you have to ignore because hey, it's a movie, so suspend your disbelief.
The story is laid out by the characters at the start and that is exactly what proceeds to happen, right up to the predictable ending.
Would I recommend this? No.
Some Interesting Aspects, but Lacking Overall
Reviews_of_the_Dead19 May 2020
This was a film that I checked out for a couple of reasons. The first is that my goal for the year was to watch one hundred 2020 horror movie releases so I can give the most informed list at year end and for my podcast, Journey with a Cinephile: A Horror Movie Podcast, I like to review at least 1 release from the year as well. I came in blind, having seen two films with similar titles in the past. The synopsis here is after receiving word of his estranged mother's untimely passing, a reluctant former army lieutenant must travel to a secluded town in the Pacific Northwest to unlock the mystery surrounding her suspicious death.
We start this film off back in 1984. We have Sarah (Paige Falardeau) and her husband is part of a ritual. She changes her mind about wanting to participant so she flees. A man pulls up and to help her. What he sees terrifies him so he drives off with Sarah. Back in the clearing, we see that the husband agrees with her and that an entity named Nefarion (Steve Kasan) arrives. He kills the man.
The movie then shifts to present day. Ian Parker (Nick Smyth) is returning to the town that he was born in. His mother has passed away and he needs to settle his affairs. Through a conversation on the phone, it is revealed that he is married and has child named Clay (Simon De Cicco). He messed up and the mother doesn't want him to see his child, but Ian fights back that she cannot do this. They decide they'll work something out.
Ian stops at a coffee shop where he has a weird interaction with the woman working the counter. As he tries to leave, he meets the Sheriff Malloy (Peter Valdron). They have a less than pleasant interaction and Ian isn't the nicest person. Sheriff Malloy gives his condolences and asks Ian to hang around while they investigate his mother's death as it had some mysterious circumstances.
He then heads up to the cabin where his mother lived. She left him a cassette tape that tells him why she did what she did and that there is a group of people after her. Ian doesn't really buy into this and we get an odd scene where he stops to check the map. He notices a jogger girl, Jessica Chin King, who he had an odd interaction with at the coffee shop. She doesn't answer him when he calls out followed by her scaring him. She disappears though, making Ian question if it really happened or the medication he's taking making him hallucinate.
There are weird forces at play and things are happening around Ian. We see the specters of two little girls. Ian is supposed to meet with a Malcolm, but he's no where to be found. Sheriff Malloy checks on him periodically. Ian's world gets turned upside when he meets Jayde (Margaryta Soldatova) who was trained in Rome by the Pope and his guards to fight demons. She tells him what they have to do if they want to save his life as well as his son's life. Ian isn't buying it, but when they're attacked, he has no other choice.
There's where I'm going to leave my recap. As this movie was going on, I was thinking that at first it is pretty low budget, but I don't like to just trash movies like that. The other thing is that I love films that involve cults, so that aspect was working in its favor for me. To be honest, this film really does go pretty in-depth with the mythology they created for the screenplay. I give a lot of credit there actually, as it felt like they cared what they were doing and really put the effort in to flesh things out. We have a group called The Six who are trying to bring about this demonic entity of Nefarion. There's also something that is trying to derail them called The Temptress. That aspect of this really did intrigue me.
The problem that I run into with this movie is that it is kind of boring unfortunately. This is for a variety of reasons for me. Part of it is the fact that we're following Ian and Jayde as they walk through the woods for most of it. They do interact with things, but it is widely inconsistent. One minute they say that if you do this, then this cannot happen, but then it does. They set up rules and do not follow them. These plot-holes take me out of it and I'm sure they're using the setting as it was cheap. It just didn't hold my interest. This becomes problematic as we have a short running time, which I like and the ending really worked for me as well. Another issue is what I'll cover next, the acting.
Having time to reflect on this before writing, here's what I've come up with. Smyth plays an insufferable character. I couldn't stand him and couldn't connect. I don't think his performance was bad though, so this becomes problematic. With how it ends with his character, it makes sense. Since we're following him though, I didn't care what happened. Valdron was fine in his role. He didn't really add much. Soldatova was quite attractive and I enjoyed seeing her. She was fine in her performance. I'd say that the rest of the cast was mediocre. It just feels like many people with very little experience without a strong enough script to help them.
That will take me to the effects of this movie. They rely mostly on CGI and I'm assuming this is budgetary reasons. The problem though is that a majority of it that was used was bad, so much so where it took me out of the movie as well. Not all of it was though, as at times it was used subtly with certain things for enhancement. We get Nefarion appearing places, magic being used, gunshots and their wounds. This all was bad looking if I'm going to be honest. With the gun flashes looking fake, I could tell that at least one of the guns wasn't real as well. A bright spot with the practical effects was the look of Nefarion though. I will give credit there.
Now with that said, this movie was a bit of a let down for me as it hooked me with the initial concept. The problem though was just some inconsistencies with the rules that they're trying to establish. Due to this, I lost interest and it is a shame with how this ends though. The soundtrack to the movie fit for what was needed, nothing special there. The acting really didn't help much and the script isn't really there to help them unfortunately. I'd have to say that this is just below average for me. A few tweaks here and there and it would have put it above the average line. With how it is though, it just wasn't there.
4.5/10
We start this film off back in 1984. We have Sarah (Paige Falardeau) and her husband is part of a ritual. She changes her mind about wanting to participant so she flees. A man pulls up and to help her. What he sees terrifies him so he drives off with Sarah. Back in the clearing, we see that the husband agrees with her and that an entity named Nefarion (Steve Kasan) arrives. He kills the man.
The movie then shifts to present day. Ian Parker (Nick Smyth) is returning to the town that he was born in. His mother has passed away and he needs to settle his affairs. Through a conversation on the phone, it is revealed that he is married and has child named Clay (Simon De Cicco). He messed up and the mother doesn't want him to see his child, but Ian fights back that she cannot do this. They decide they'll work something out.
Ian stops at a coffee shop where he has a weird interaction with the woman working the counter. As he tries to leave, he meets the Sheriff Malloy (Peter Valdron). They have a less than pleasant interaction and Ian isn't the nicest person. Sheriff Malloy gives his condolences and asks Ian to hang around while they investigate his mother's death as it had some mysterious circumstances.
He then heads up to the cabin where his mother lived. She left him a cassette tape that tells him why she did what she did and that there is a group of people after her. Ian doesn't really buy into this and we get an odd scene where he stops to check the map. He notices a jogger girl, Jessica Chin King, who he had an odd interaction with at the coffee shop. She doesn't answer him when he calls out followed by her scaring him. She disappears though, making Ian question if it really happened or the medication he's taking making him hallucinate.
There are weird forces at play and things are happening around Ian. We see the specters of two little girls. Ian is supposed to meet with a Malcolm, but he's no where to be found. Sheriff Malloy checks on him periodically. Ian's world gets turned upside when he meets Jayde (Margaryta Soldatova) who was trained in Rome by the Pope and his guards to fight demons. She tells him what they have to do if they want to save his life as well as his son's life. Ian isn't buying it, but when they're attacked, he has no other choice.
There's where I'm going to leave my recap. As this movie was going on, I was thinking that at first it is pretty low budget, but I don't like to just trash movies like that. The other thing is that I love films that involve cults, so that aspect was working in its favor for me. To be honest, this film really does go pretty in-depth with the mythology they created for the screenplay. I give a lot of credit there actually, as it felt like they cared what they were doing and really put the effort in to flesh things out. We have a group called The Six who are trying to bring about this demonic entity of Nefarion. There's also something that is trying to derail them called The Temptress. That aspect of this really did intrigue me.
The problem that I run into with this movie is that it is kind of boring unfortunately. This is for a variety of reasons for me. Part of it is the fact that we're following Ian and Jayde as they walk through the woods for most of it. They do interact with things, but it is widely inconsistent. One minute they say that if you do this, then this cannot happen, but then it does. They set up rules and do not follow them. These plot-holes take me out of it and I'm sure they're using the setting as it was cheap. It just didn't hold my interest. This becomes problematic as we have a short running time, which I like and the ending really worked for me as well. Another issue is what I'll cover next, the acting.
Having time to reflect on this before writing, here's what I've come up with. Smyth plays an insufferable character. I couldn't stand him and couldn't connect. I don't think his performance was bad though, so this becomes problematic. With how it ends with his character, it makes sense. Since we're following him though, I didn't care what happened. Valdron was fine in his role. He didn't really add much. Soldatova was quite attractive and I enjoyed seeing her. She was fine in her performance. I'd say that the rest of the cast was mediocre. It just feels like many people with very little experience without a strong enough script to help them.
That will take me to the effects of this movie. They rely mostly on CGI and I'm assuming this is budgetary reasons. The problem though is that a majority of it that was used was bad, so much so where it took me out of the movie as well. Not all of it was though, as at times it was used subtly with certain things for enhancement. We get Nefarion appearing places, magic being used, gunshots and their wounds. This all was bad looking if I'm going to be honest. With the gun flashes looking fake, I could tell that at least one of the guns wasn't real as well. A bright spot with the practical effects was the look of Nefarion though. I will give credit there.
Now with that said, this movie was a bit of a let down for me as it hooked me with the initial concept. The problem though was just some inconsistencies with the rules that they're trying to establish. Due to this, I lost interest and it is a shame with how this ends though. The soundtrack to the movie fit for what was needed, nothing special there. The acting really didn't help much and the script isn't really there to help them unfortunately. I'd have to say that this is just below average for me. A few tweaks here and there and it would have put it above the average line. With how it is though, it just wasn't there.
4.5/10
It is so bad!
Bruxadomar8 February 2020
what is happening with rating
symphonicblack9 February 2020
Cool supernatural horror shocker
Woodyanders13 October 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Traumatized former army lieutenant Ian Parker (a fine and credible performance by Nick Smyth) runs afoul of a evil demonic cult in the Pacific Northwest while investigating the mysterious disappearance of his mother.
Director Manuel H. DaSilva relates the absorbing story at a steady pace, adroitly crafts a creepy gloom-doom atmosphere, makes nice use of the backwoods locations, stages the demon attack scenes with aplomb, and tosses in a little tasty gratuitous female nudity for trashy good measure. Moreover, this movie earns extra points for presenting Parker as a surly and sarcastic unlikeable jerk. Margaryta Soldatova contributes a spot-on feisty turn as the tough Jayde while Peter Valdron registers well as the browbeating Sheriff Malloy. The surprise grim ending packs a jolting punch. An on the money fright flick.
Director Manuel H. DaSilva relates the absorbing story at a steady pace, adroitly crafts a creepy gloom-doom atmosphere, makes nice use of the backwoods locations, stages the demon attack scenes with aplomb, and tosses in a little tasty gratuitous female nudity for trashy good measure. Moreover, this movie earns extra points for presenting Parker as a surly and sarcastic unlikeable jerk. Margaryta Soldatova contributes a spot-on feisty turn as the tough Jayde while Peter Valdron registers well as the browbeating Sheriff Malloy. The surprise grim ending packs a jolting punch. An on the money fright flick.
I've seen better... And Worse.
Dan_The_Mannn5 February 2020
This is one of those films that makes entirely no logical sense. But it doesn't have to. It's engaging and serves the purpose of scaring you without being campy. With a super low budget the look is actually impressive. Minus the special effects that is. those are comparable to my college course in adobe. Luckily there aren't too many fx needed to distract or make you run for the nearest balcony.
Good sound. Good look. Great feel. Average execution. 6.5 out of ten for this lover of all things mediocre.
Good sound. Good look. Great feel. Average execution. 6.5 out of ten for this lover of all things mediocre.
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