Demons Never Die, 2011.
Directed by Arjun Rose.
Starring Robert Sheehan, Ashley Walters and Tulisa Contostavlos.
SYNOPSIS:
A group of troubled teens make a suicide pact after a classmate takes her own life. But all is not what it seems.
The best way to describe Demons Never Die is to call it an ‘urban horror’. Why? Well because it’s about a group of chavvy urban types getting stabbed to death by some masked maniac. But oh, there are a few twists and turns! Because one of them might be the killer.
The film opens with N Dubz’ Tulisa scribbling ‘MURDER’ on a notepad and drinking a glass of milk. Hardly ground breaking. She’s had an argument with her other half after having an abortion. Her dad pops out, and when he returns, he finds her cut up in what clearly doesn’t look like suicide, but that’s what everyone seems to think has happened because she’d had a little cry before he left.
Oddly inspired by her apparent suicide, a group of people from her school decide to take their own lives too. The group discuss this idea over webcam outside of school, in the most bizarre and unnecessary artistic direction of a scene I have ever seen. It goes a bit Andy Warhol, honestly.
But anyway, from one cheesy element of the film to another, there is also an awful voiceover at the beginning (and end) of this film. It tells us how everyone has their issues to deal with, their demons that cause them to want to end their lives. Some of the dialogue, not just within this voiceover, is truly awful.
It goes without saying that this film is hardly a chirpy one. As several characters reasoning for wanting to end their life becomes apparent, a few of them are offed by the masked maniac. Whilst this is going on, we have the mandatory couple, finding a reason to stay alive as their relationship quite quickly progresses.
It doesn’t take too long before the rest of the remaining group members all decide that life really is worth the living. That’s all except one, Kenny – the asshole character. He’s loud-mouthed, annoying and ridiculous. His motive for wanting to kill himself pretty much seems to be for the fame of it. He sets up cameras at the house party where the group originally agreed to go all Suicide Club, and when they change their minds he decides he wants to be remembered as a murderer by killing everyone else at the party first. Flawless plan there, Kenny.
I won’t give much more of the plot away – there are a few twists that aren’t expected, and as per usual this horror sets up many suspects. I will however point out a few gaping flaws in this movie: firstly, the police duo (one of which is played by Reggie Yates), are really awful at detective work. Everyone seem to believe that each of the kids that die have killed themselves, when some simple forensic work would clearly tell them that this was impossible. The blood spatter would be all wrong. I’ve watched enough Dexter to know these things. Secondly, the ending is just god awful. Certainly it’s surprising, but it’s also rather silly.
To the film’s credit, I admit I wasn’t actually bored at all whilst watching it, but I wouldn’t go as far as to say I was particularly entertained either. Watch this film if you want to see suicide not taken particularly seriously (admittedly at parts it does take it somewhat seriously, but generally it addresses it as quite a fleeting notion), if you enjoy your horror with very little actual horror until the bitterly disappointing ending, or just if you like modern urban music. The soundtrack features Jessie J, Rizzle Kicks and Devlin – which probably tickles someone’s fancy, just not mine.
Originally published February 20, 2012. Updated April 10, 2018.
