Demons (I) (2017) User Reviews

Demons? More like... Rubbish!

[scythertitus · 4/10 · 9 December 2018]

This film is the worst type of movie, where it is both trash and overly pretentious at the same time. It's trying to tell a deep story in an original way, but everything is so obvious and heavy handed. Half the dialogue is delivered as of the direction *dramatic pause* was written in the script and breaking up a simple story doesn't make it any less simple.

The spirituality stuff comes across as tired and dated, but again as if the filmmaker thinks they are being really deep with it, maybe it was supposed to be ironic, I doubt it though.

Overall there is far too much bad to recommend this movie, and there is little good to redeem it, there is an attractive naked lady at one point, but they also talk about her nudity way longer than she is actually nude for, so many points in the film are belaboured, it's ridiculous! You'd probably be better off avoiding this one.

A bit boring to be honest.

[deloudelouvain · 5/10 · 19 February 2020]

I'm not as overly enthusiastic as some other honest reviewers (the perfect tens with one review (we all know them) will never count as honest reviewers) that gave Demons a decent score. I found the story to be a bit of a mess, a bit boring, not fully exploited. The twist in the end was predictable, at least to me, it could have been more elebaroted to make it a better movie. The positive point would be the acting for me. There are some quality actors that make a movie watchable, but that doesn't mean the movie was good. To me it's just an average movie that I will probably have forgotten all about it by tomorrow.

The body overcomes the spirit.

[nogodnomasters · 4/10 · 16 October 2017]

PLOT SPOILERS The film opens with Jewel (Jessica Harthcock) dying in what appears to be an exorcism gone bad. We then jump 14 months to the future where Colin, the priest of the failed exorcism (Miles Dolec) is on a honeymoon with Kayleigh (Lindsay Anne Williams) the sister of the victim, apparently a common thing in Louisiana. They are at the Hotel Hesperides which is explained in a flashback. We then jump to another 8 years in the future where Colin is a famous author and the couple has a child, named for the dead sister, as they live in Savannah. They are hosting two other couples in a clothes optional get together prior to a wedding. Lara (Kristina Emerson) who doesn't wear clothes, can sense things besides a light breeze. When Jewel haunts them on what would be her 26th birthday we get a long numerology explanation, which was more detailed than their one line summary of the works of Immanuel Kant.

The film has frequent flashbacks recreating the events leading up to the death of the sister with daddy issues being hinted at early as well as a scientific explanation. Lara, BTW believes in everything and has her own theory of everything which she states in one line which includes "point of singularity" and of course the number 26 as apparently God uses the Gregorian calendar in preference to the Julian calendar. She made the film worth watching, for more than one reason.

The flashbacks were confusing as I wasn't sure what we were seeing. Why are the people who were there, acting like this is the first time they were seeing this? Some of the things, sure, but all of it? Apparently taking a pitchfork to the gut is just a minor flesh wound. No sense in dying. Just get up and walk around like you were never struck. "'Tis but a scratch. I've had worse." And or yes, the other twist which you half saw coming. This is a somewhat clever idea. Miles wanted to keep the twist secret until the very end which meant he had to jumble the chronology and create flashbacks that didn't work well.

Guide: F-word, sex, nudity (Kristina Emerson)

Does not grip your Attention at All

[mrdonleone · 2/10 · 30 January 2020]

Nothing happens. It's nasty and boring. Not even the presence of some few naked dancing women around the cool could change this. It fails to grip my attention and because of this nothing remains behind of it but some empty words and promises of greatness yet all in vain. Booooooh!

I guess demons can even bore you to death...

[paul_haakonsen · 3/10 · 9 December 2018]

Right, where to begin here?...

"Demons" is a horribly slow paced movie with nothing even resembling an interesting storyline. Yeah, I kid you not. The storyline kept jumping back and forth in the past and present trying to build up a story but it just never took hold. And that meant that the movie was fast losing its ground and never really managed to get back on track. It was a steep uphill battle that the movie had no chance of overcoming.

It should be said that there was actually an interesting cast on the cast list to perform in the movie. And they acted fair enough, especially so when taking into consideration that they have literally nothing to work with here in terms of storyline and script.

I managed to endure a whole 45 minutes of utter boredom of this ordeal before I had to toss the towel in the ring from being hopelessly bored out of my mind. And I can honestly say that I am not ever going to return to finish watching the rest of the 2017 movie "Demons", it just have nothing to lure me in with and nothing to keep me interested in watching the screen.

If you enjoy horror movies, then there are far, far better choices readily available for you to watch. I can't think of a single reason why you should watch the movie, unless you know someone involved in the production of the movie, or something like that.

Dull

[gurumaggie · 2/10 · 3 October 2020]

It's a slow boring journey into nothing really, the cast deserve way better, it's a waste of time, naked hippie lady is just one of the many clichés in a veritable oasis of tension and horror. I watched this so you don't have to, I beg of you don't.

All of these reviews...

[pauliecorleone-72628 · 3/10 · 11 November 2018]

...definitely NOT fake. DEFINITELY, ya hear? I mean... Hereditary whatnow? First Reformed? Pah, nonsense! Demons is where it's at, fam. /sarcasm

What minimal merit this holds isn't worth the calories you'll burn hitting "play". And just like in the case of a train wreck... Move along, now, nothing to see here.

Nooo

[poney889 · 1/10 · 23 August 2018]

Much nudity!!! We didn't finish the movie but that didn't seem a good story .

There are fake reviews and the cover is poor, but...it's a good movie.

[SashaDarko · 7/10 · 5 November 2017]

It's not the first time when I see fake reviews appearing for a decent movie, probably because the movie didn't get enough attention, I don't know. Note to distributors or authors - you're just shooting yourself in the leg, especially when you have a solid material. Stop. Doing. That. People won't believe your movie is decent and you'll just bring the people who will rate it 1/10 not because of the movie, but because of the fake reviews.

Tagline is also somewhat misleading, it's not really your typical exorcist movie. The cover is somewhat amateurishly made, the movie itself is not like that at all. Why spending budget on making a good movie but not ever think about cover?

As for the movie, I'd say it's a solid mystery / psychological thriller, told through the two connected stories (present / past events). Also, the one about the past is either shot on film or has a grain filter added in post-production, in any case it's a great touch. It's intriguing and captivating, characters are nothing special, but are memorable and the actors do their job. I also like the acting and voice of Andrew Divoff, he's just as charismatic as he was in Hatred (2017) and he's also playing a religious fanatic here as well. By the end you'll learn why the movie is called "Demons" (how I said, it's not really your typical exorcist movie).

Worth a watch, maybe even two or three.

Checks all the boxes for an excellent horror movie!

[cejdaniels · 8/10 · 18 April 2018]

Nicely done classic horror with a intelligence and depth in matters of spirituality. The cast is a big plus and the cinematography is excellent. Not a huge fan of flashbacks but they were handled well.

Demons (2017) and the Quest of Indie Film

[gehennapublishinghouse · 6/10 · 6 October 2017]

Greetings from the Ether,

We were given the honor to attend an early screening of Demons, a new horror film from Mississippi powerhouse Miles Doleac (American Horror Story, The Magnificent Seven). We would first like to thank the director for the invite and for him reaching out to the Gehenna Post. We hope this will be the first of many, many more early reviews.

Alas, let's begin!

Former priest Colin Hampstead turns to a career as an author after an attempted exorcism goes wrong. The victim of said possession is none other than the younger sister of the woman he later marries. Together, and many years after the tragic incident, they battle the demons that aim to put them down, coming to realizations and truths about themselves in the process.

Now, the first thing that must be noted and thoroughly considered, is the fact that this film is not a Hollywood blockbuster. It is not on tier with many Oscar-nominated films. For average moviegoers, the experience may not be what they would hope. Nonetheless, the ability to admire the work that these artists put their hearts and souls into, with the limited resources they had, is something that we should take into acknowledgment.

There are good performances here, most notably from John Schneider (Smallville), Andrew Divoff (Wishmaster), and Steven Brand (The Scorpion King). Unlike previous outings with Doleac as director, he chose (in a risk that truly paid off) to put other cast members to the forefront. The character of Colin (played by Miles Doleac) is well done, as all of the director's on screen performances have been to date, but he truly gave the floor to other stars in a way that hasn't been seen and this was perhaps one of the most respectable decisions made.

Doleac's previous directorial and starring outings, The Historian and The Hollow were both in the field of drama, one being a cinematic academia-based investigation, and the latter being a southern crime noir. Stepping into the realm of horror was brave, and though Doleac doesn't have the most experience in this genre, his skill as a director and screenwriter shine through. There are some solid scares and a few very intense moments throughout the film, while maintaining a structure that is at times changing pretty fast-paced, but at other times seamless. During the Q&A, we asked the director about the challenges he faced tackling the genre of horror, and he said something that we found to be very truthful, horror is "character-driven." The reveals and expanding plot development surrounding the possession and why it happened are exactly that. This, Doleac nailed on the head.

Keeping in mind the struggles that indie filmmakers face in today's industry, Doleac continues to impress with the resources he is given. In the Q&A after the film, the director revealed that the script was written relatively quickly, and despite the rushed nature of this animal's creation, there is some honest storytelling to be seen. If the director can write a screenplay like this in such a short time, one can only imagine his capabilities if given the proper resources and time.

Demons has flaws, and doesn't quite surpass what The Hollow achieved, but it is still worth watching, and more importantly, worth supporting. In a day and age where independent filmmakers struggle to gain recognition and have to work endlessly and tirelessly to produce a movie, it is more important now than ever to support indie films. As Doleac pointed out in the Q&A, the theater industry is dying and it is near impossible to work from the ground up, setting your own foundations in the process.

Many facets of the film didn't work but the ones that did made up for it. It will be interesting to see where Doleac goes from here and if he chooses to pursue horror again. We are excited to see his progression as a director, actor, and screenwriter. We encourage you, our readers, to watch this film and to support indie film- making. Demons is not The Exorcist or The Conjuring but we hope it is the first in an ever-improving filmography from Miles Doleac.

much better than i expected

[stevedonovan-35045 · 7/10 · 7 October 2017]

I went into this expecting a stupid exorcist rip off.Not at all the case. The story does revolve around an exorcism that already happened and everything that ensued from it and what led up to it.A lot of it told in flashbacks but plenty going on in the present too.The story is told at a nice quick pace and keeps you interested.A lot going on here and the acting is pretty good too except for the mother(but we can let that slide).All in all,a good solid movie. I definitely recommend!

Aptly Named

[brindavani · 10/10 · 8 March 2018]

This movie presents an insightful, thought-provoking, and deeply disturbing twist on the common exorcist theme. It's not that the question of the nature of evil is so rare, but that, when considered in the context of the storyline, the answer proves as elusive, as it does in life. Yet, in life, when confronted with such demands, after a time, we generally blow a circuit and change our focus to something else. It is as if mere humans just aren't designed to manage the failures in our design - but, one asks, why not? Why can't we, individually, or as a group, prevent the horrors which abound in our society? The movie gives us the opportunity to simply acknowledge our powerlessness and bewilderment, which are embodied variously by different characters, throughout the storyline. Contrary to the gist of several reviews, the seemingly low key nature of the horror, here, is no failure, but, rather, design. The notion of the invincibility of evil, when one takes a moment to savor the feelings brought up by the absence of triumph in the film, sinks down deep into our constant fears, sorrow, and coping mechanisms, laying bare the inner landscape, for the moment portrayed as a battlefield bloodied by failure, impotence, and defeat. If that seems overdone, pause to consider the lives of just those neighbors you know within a half block, the walking wounded you see everywhere you go, the daily horrors of abuse and neglect sickening so many around us and causing maladaptive reactions which only make things worse.

For a few minutes after the movie, we ponder the subtleties. If, as implied by the film, evil is not something outside ourselves, but some horror arising within, how can it be combatted, prevented, or accepted? In real life, of course, the situation would have been handled differently; but the film's focus on evil, itself, only benefits from the contrivance, as if to point out that dealing with the symptoms allopathically is all good and fine, when it works; but how can we direclty address a disease so deeply embedded in the human experience?

The acting was great. In fact, the actor with the most objectionable character does such a believable job that it was hard to watch. To avoid mentally slapping him, I had to switch to appreciating his craft.

A Masterful Psychological Puzzle

[elca-17166 · 8/10 · 7 October 2017]

The difficulties of creating an independent film extends from creating the script, finding the right actors to filming it with the right crew. Under a limited budget and time sometimes films under these circumstances will have major flaws. Demons however is not one of these films.

Demons is a very intellectual piece of literature delving into the deep psychological aspects of the human being bound by religion, family, and societal challenges. It is a rich narrative that leaves a lot to the imagination all the while leading you to complete a puzzle that is the story. Though it is hard to follow at times due to the philosophical and intense psychological aspects, it will leave audiences in awe of how the causality of every action in the film intertwine. I will be honest in saying that not only is this not for the faint of heart but also those who do not wish to take the time to piece together details. As previously stated it is a psychological puzzle piece in my humble understanding.

As with the technical aspects, I will just say that it is not a blockbuster film and so some people may not agree with some of the choices that were bound by the time and budget. The narrative and the acting in the film more than makes up for it under my most humble opinion.

Definitely looking forward to what Miles Doleac will do next.

Truly unique and thought-provoking in the genre!

[mindibennett · 10/10 · 7 October 2017]

Demons is a gripping and unique film that delves into the realm of well-intention-ed religious fervor taken too far, inner demons that manifest themselves in horrific ways, and how these things affect the lives of a disillusioned priest and his family. Using a brilliant format of flashbacks that tantalizingly unfolds the history responsible for current supernatural happenings, Demons manages to weave enough humor and poignancy into what is otherwise a dark and psychologically deep thriller that it never loses the attention of the audience for a minute! Billed as a horror flick, Demons delivers so much more than any slasher film as it really develops the characters and I found myself terrified - not of the "Demons" that Father Hampstead attempts to exorcise, but of those demons present to some extent in all of us - regret, disillusionment, missed potential, misplaced trust, and those demons we fight because of circumstances in our past. Lindsay Anne Williams and Kristina Emerson deliver particularly powerful performances and it's truly refreshing to see a male screenwriter spending much time and thought on his female leads, particularly in a genre where females tend all-to-often to be helpless or simpering victims. With a gorgeous soundtrack, remarkable cinematography particularly for an independent project, truly brilliant casting, and a surprising and thought-provoking post-script plot twist, Demons is DEFINITELY worth seeing several times, as I have found new layers of insight each time I have experienced it. Don't miss this "horror" film that is truly unique in the genre!

A psychological marvel bringing light to an unacknowledged epidemic..

[regandoleac · 8/10 · 6 October 2017]

Loved it! Poignant story line..beautifully written script. Really appreciated the spotlight on the realities of the physical and sexual abuse of children and how it not only transforms the victim, but the family in its entirety...great use of statistical data to prove that perpetrators of abuse are those that children know, love, and trust, contrary to what we as a society would like to believe, and have willed ourselves to do so, rather than accepting the facts as they are.....

Wonderful cast!!! A breath of fresh air from the oh so typical, run of the mill, screamer, horror movie, allowing you to really develop a relationship with the characters!!! This one really makes you think! A must see for all! Bravo to all involved!

Intriguing, deep, and thought provoking!

[jmbennett-24997 · 10/10 · 7 October 2017]

This movie is Incredibly watchable and entertaining with great depth of characters and enough dark intensity to be categorized in the horror genre, but a truly character-driven drama with supernatural and horror elements. Invites the audience to contemplate along with the characters what type of "demons" really wreak the most havoc in the characters' lives. Jessica Harthcock is reeeeeealy creepy and believable as the unfortunate "victim", and strong female leads (Lindsay Anne Williams, Kristina Emerson) are a refreshingly unusual finding in this genre also! Loved the surprise twist and seeing John Schneider in an unlikely role that nonetheless rang true! Particularly for an independent film with a small budget, this is definitely a great way to spend an afternoon or an evening, and is likely to spark some great conversation afterwards!

A Fun and Twisted Ride

[msjennilea · 9/10 · 7 October 2017]

This is an excellent psychological thriller that does not shy away from taboo topics. The dynamic cast brought this female driven story to life as it dove headfirst into the characters. Thus, making it easier to understand the motives behind some of the choices. The actors portrayed the characters so true to life that it makes you take a side way glance at your neighbors. Truly, it was a pleasure to watch the way the time sequences were seamlessly welded together to bring the story full circle. All of the twists and turns keep you guessing and makes for a fun ride. So much praise to Lindsay Anne Williams for her adaptation of such a complicated character trapped between her duties, expectations, and her own internal morels!

Fantastic!

[hulkout15 · 10/10 · 10 October 2017]

I was completely blown away when I watched this movie, mainly because it truly didn't feel like an "independent film". I sometimes think that the term "independent film" can carry a stigma with it, meaning some might confuse the term with "home movie" or something. But this movie, Demons, is so utterly stellar in its production value and overall presentation, that I personally forgot that it was an independent film, and thought I was watching a legitimate Hollywood motion picture.

Personally, one of my biggest selling points on that claim was actually the soundtrack, in that it was an actual movie score! When it comes to movie music, a lot of times independent films can fall short, because they'll just have somebody strumming a few chords on a guitar or something, no matter what the story's about. But Clifton Hyde's and Darren Morze's actual full score is not only refreshing to witness in an independent film, but it is also very suspenseful, and is an absolute perfect fit with the action that's playing out on screen. Checkout the film's trailer to see what I mean.

This movie also has just awesome performances, and a deliciously clever story written by the film's star and director, Miles Doleac. So, yeah, especially since it's about that time for Halloween again, forget about the whole "independent film" thing or whatever, and get out and go treat yourself to this highly entertaining movie.

A great horror piece with a good twist

[harkinjamie · 10/10 · 5 April 2019]

Strong writing, acting, directing all around! Great movie! I loved it.

Great low-budget horror/character drama blend

[snyperphillip · 9/10 · 7 October 2017]

This is a fantastic Indie film. It's a great mix of the exorcism horror genre and a character drama. It's not your typical horror movie with nothing but jump scares, so if you're only looking for a fun thrill then this probably isn't the movie for you. If, however, you want to dig deep into the character's psychology then this is perfect. There's a real focus on the characters' lives and development, and the film does a great job of making you consider the reality of demons.