The Overlook: Demonic

(imdb.com)

A recent trend in horror movies is uniting criminal investigations to exorcisms. Movies like The Exorcism of Emily Rose and Deliver Us from Evil and Fox's The Exorcist TV series paired cops and detectives with ongoing or aftermath discoveries of butchered victims, occult symbols and often, a couple survivors. While sometimes repetitive, these movies and shows offer fresh takes on humans interacting with demons and the devil. That's why 2015's Demonic is worth a watch.

Recently added to Netflix, Demonic follows a group of friends who enter a haunted house and get more than they bargain for. Alongside these flashbacks are a detective and psychologist attempting to solve the eventual massacre of the teens. Demonic stars Maria Bello (Secret Window) and Frank Grillo (Warrior) as psychologist Elizabeth Klein and Detective Mark Lewis, respectively. Cody Horn (End of Watch), Dustin Milligan (Schitt's Creek), Scott Mechlowicz (EuroTrip) and Megan Park (What If) play the group of teens, with Milligan starring as troubled young man with disturbing dreams. His character John, Horn's Michelle and Mechlowicz's Bryan are the only remaining members of the party upon the police's arrival.

Demonic has a lot of flaws. From some shaky acting from supporting characters to some mediocre story points, there's a lot to criticize. But at its center, there's still something entertaining about this movie. Milligan is absolutely fantastic as the central character and possible murderer - even if his character has some inconsistencies. Had the filmmakers left him more solemn throughout, rather than give him some jokey moments, his character would be even more solidified.

Additionally, the nonchronological storyline, while interesting comes with its own host of issues. Most importantly, the aftermath scenes are far more entertaining than the typical and at times, overly conventional teens-exploring-a-haunted-house ones. But, while this film could have fallen completely into the waste basket, these later scenes mostly focusing on Bello's and Grillo's characters provide plenty of buffers. Both Bello and Grillo bring a heightened level of acting to some of the weaker characters and cast.

This movie isn't perfect. But, in a constant craving for more, horror fans can rest assured that empty space will be filled. It's a movie that revels in its basic functions, but provides enough jump scares and star power to drive it home. Demonic is a great choice for a casual afternoon, even if not necessarily a horror-filled night.

 

 

 

The Overlook: Fear, Inc.

(imdb.com)

Dedicated horror fans often complain about how, over time, they've become desensitized to scares. Even movies that terrify most come across as placid to some aggressively consuming audiences. Playing off of this, some filmmakers have attempted to address these problems head on. In the Scream franchise, horror movie buffs who are seemingly ahead of the killer then become victims and in The Houses October Built, the insatiable desire to be scared took a turn for the deadly when a group of friends look for the best haunted house of their lives. This is basically the foundation of last year's Fear, Inc.; a horror-comedy that shows once again what happens when someone bite off more than they can chew.

Similar to Houses October Built, Fear, Inc. features a group of friends who get caught up in a horror service that takes things very, very far. But, with enough differentiation and a healthy dose of blind comedy, Fear, Inc. is iconic on its own. Opening with a horror fanatic who thinks he's setting his friends up with a company responsible for scaring, this film quickly devolves into a twisting and horrific film asking what limits actually exist in a contract and the question, "who is pranking who?"

Like The Houses October Built, Fear, Inc. brings together a wickedly strong ensemble that is able to balance horror and comedy, given the ridiculousness of the plot. The true star and most definite scene stealer is Lucas Neff (Raising Hope) who plays horror junkie, Joe Foster. His character is the funniest and most blankly accepting of his situation. He adds a lighthearted tone to what could be a very dim film. His girlfriend, Lindsey, is played by Caitlin Stasey (Reign), and Chris Marquette (Freddy vs. Jason) plays his best friend, Ben. The cast is rounded out with Stephanie Drake (Mad Men) playing Ben's wife, and Mark Moses playing the leader of Fear, Inc. 

With so many twists, Fear, Inc. is an unexpectedly good movie. Each of the actors is game for the wild roles they play. Whether being hunted or being tricksters, these characters will completely engross the viewer who will surely be content with whatever they're watching. Fear, Inc. also has a fair set of scares to balance out the comedy. Between some truly energetic deaths and Neff's uncanny ability to seem so unaware and invested in what he believes is a prank, Fear, Inc. gives some truly great moments.

Overall, what makes Fear, Inc. so special is its originality. It toggling between entertainment and horror is cringe-worthy in the best way possible. Even while viewers see and know that the characters have something to be afraid of, the band of friends still accepts it as a joke. This type of disruption is so perfectly captured it's hard to deny this movie as addicting.