Here Come the Devil, 2012.
Directed by Adrián García Boglian.
Starring Francisco Barreiro, Laura Caro, Alan Martinez, Michele Garcia and David Arturo Cabezud.
SYNOPSIS:
A married couple lose their children while on a family trip near some caves in Tijuana. Shortly thereafter, the kids eventually reappear without explanation, but it becomes clear that they are not who they used to be, that something terrifying has changed them.
Here Comes the Devil is unlike a lot of modern movies as it doesn’t stick to many of the standard clichés that a lot of horror pictures tend to drift towards.
The film uses a range of both thumping and piercing music to set the tone for each scene which, combined with some creepy visuals and a whole lot of boobs, helps to make this film look and feel more like something out of the 70s grindhouse era.
Oddly enough, you could also compare this film’s tone with another piece of history, The Wicker Man. Like the cult classic, this film uses harsh edits, peculiar-looking characters, well framed landscapes and the classic horror technique of cameras zooming in and out to great effect – although admittedly it didn’t have quite the same chilling effect on me.
While the idea of a cross between grindhouse cinema and The Wicker Man may sound like an interesting idea, this film does have a lot of flaws.
Firstly, the actors themselves don’t really help the picture. Sometimes it feels as though the performers on screen have been plucked off of the street, given some lines and pushed in front of the camera. While not the worst acting in modern horror, they certainly don’t make you care what’s happening on screen which really lessens the effectiveness of the tale.
They may not be helped by the script which is a little dodgy but, as this is a subtitled movie, it could be the case that it works better in its native Spanish.
The biggest issue with this piece however is the fact that, as good as the story could have been, there are gaping plot points which just leave you scratching your head in confusion. A brutal killing with little setup, lazy policework and a murder that goes uninvestigated are all just swept under the carpet to allow the ‘story’ to continue. These loose ends finish up being very frustrating as they only detract from something that at could have at least been something slightly different.
All in all, this film harks back to an older era in horror filmmaking, making it a great choice for those who enjoy the classics like Torso or The Wicker Man. However, it is also quite frustrating as it’s got some genuinely interesting ideas but thanks to the poor editing, worse acting and some very dodgy effects, it doesn’t quite fulfil its potential.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★
Ozzy Armstrong is a Stargate and Rocky superfan. Follow him on Twitter.
