demonic
2015 review number 59:
Demonic: (Horror): 39 out of 100: Have you ever wondered what a boring horror movie was like? Do you want to experience every cliché in the horror genre textbook? Do you like movies with characters holding hand-held cameras? Well, this is the movie for you!
A group of teenagers have nothing better to do than to summon some spirits in a séance. Through flashbacks, Dr. Elizabeth Klein (Maria Bello) and Detective Mark Lewis (Frank Grillo) interrogate the only survivor located to discover why they have encountered so many deaths in this haunted house which was notorious for some deaths inflicted by a crazed woman many years ago.
Thankfully, the entire movie is not a found-footage one but that doesn't excuse the director from occasionally having a shaky camera when filming the actors. Although the actors try hard they can't escape from the horror stereotypes where the scares come from characters and things appearing from nowhere and the sound of screeching violins signify an impending scary scene.
Horror movies usually generate some sort of interest with this viewer. It's fun to be scared and to close your eyes when the scary or horrific moment arrives. The only time I closed my eyes during this movie was to nod off when it just became too boring to watch.
The main problem I found with this movie was that there was a lack of tension. It didn't help when we knew which of the characters had survived. The use of flashbacks is not one recommended for horror movies because the beauty of this genre is not knowing who will survive. It's only towards the end when everything is in the present but by then it's too late to redeem the rest of the movie.
If you are a horror enthusiast, there are better examples of this genre to experience. This will probably go straight to DVD in Australia and DVD is where it belongs. A word of warning...don't be misled by the poster which features James Wan's name (he directed the superior "Saw", "Insidious" and "The Conjuring") for he only produced the movie.
Starring Frank Grillo and Maria Bello
(83 minutes)
Parental advice: Violence, coarse language and adult themes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dASLktIcTaY (Movie trailer)
(Reviewed on Wednesday 22nd April, 2015)
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