Devil’s Candy, The (2017)
Starring Ethan Embry, Shiri Appleby, Kiara Glasco
Directed by Sean Byrne
Hey, you win some and you lose some, and so far, a scant 3 months into 2017 there hasn’t been a whole lot to shriek about in the world of horror (at least in my jaded opinion, that is). When I was given the opportunity to check out Sean Byrne’s 2015 satanic-possession film, The Devil’s Candy, I immediately thought to myself “what else can possibly be done as far as possession cinema is concerned?” – Jumping Jeezus Christmas on a cracker, was I surprised! Let’s stroll through the fiery gates of Hades and see what we can save from the flames, shall we?
Following up on his ultra-violent “prom from hell” flick, The Loved Ones back in 2009, this movie stars Ethan Embry as Jesse, an inked-up, paint-stained, heavy-metal loving artist who moves into a home with his wife (Appleby) and daughter (Glasco) years after a horrific incident occurred in the dwelling, therefore resulting in a ridiculously low sale-price. Seems that a former resident of the house (Pruitt Taylor Vince in a bluntly chilling role as Ray) who’s spent some time away in a mental hospital, wants to come back “home” and pay a visit to the new residents. Ray’s violent past hasn’t subsided since his time away, and his only tactic to drowning out satanic “voices” is to crank up his flying-v guitar as loud as it can go, strum away, and pray that the echoes will subside…yeah, that won’t happen. The family unpacks their belongings in the home and settles in, but with Jesse stressing about making enough money with his paintings to support the household, and with his daughter adjusting to a new school, things already are on the fringes of becoming dicey.
It’s not too far into the film that Jesse begins to hear those very same dark statements that drove Ray to commit such heinous acts years ago – his artwork shifts from beautiful imagery to devilishly evil markings that depict his teen daughter engulfed in flames – well you know that Mom won’t be too happy about all this, throwing an even bigger wrench into everyone’s happy existence. With Ray closing in on returning to the old homestead, and leaving bodies in his wake, you can be sure that there’s going to be an unholy resolution to it all. I’ve got to offer up some serious praise to Byrne for not only NOT going the usual “possession” route, but taking it in another direction altogether – by simply hearing the voices repeatedly on this unhallowed ground, you’re encompassed in an infernal impasse, and it simply makes the film that much more fun to follow along. Performance-wise, both Embry and Pruitt attack their roles in different fashions, yet each one manages to use their skills to portray characters that are flawed on a range of spectrums – Embry’s as the doting dad trying to fight off a curse while attempting to remain the father figure, and Pruitt as a man whose completely unhinged thanks to his past, and we’re all just watching him unravel even further – it’s uncomfortable and frightening all in one depiction. There’s a sympathetic vibe to Pruitt’s role as the hulking killer, and I really can’t look out at the ocean of actors today and pick someone else that could have nailed the role as well as he did.
The Devil’s Candy is an extremely serious film, with little or no humorous moments to recollect – it’s harsh in some spots, yet maintaining a sense of family and protection of that unit, all the while showcasing evil on a cellular level. This right now has got to be one of my top 5 horror films viewed this year so far, and it’s going to take something rather remarkable to knock it off its very high perch – check this one out when it releases on March 17th.
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Film
Categorized:Reviews
