Along Came the Devil (2018) (BLU-RAY REVIEW)
Director: Jason DeVan
Starring: Madison Lintz, Sydney Sweeney, Bruce Davison
RATED: R/REGION A/1:78/1080P/NUMBER OF DISCS 1
AVAILABLE FROM Gravitas Ventures
When a film proudly declares itself a horror flick, it carries a weighty expectation: to frighten, to unsettle, and, ideally, to resonate with some deep-seated fear lurking within. “Along Came the Devil,” unfortunately, haphazardly flutters in and out of these expectations, ultimately leaving viewers with a sense of disappointment rather than a satisfying chill down the spine.
The plot centers around a woman named Jessica, portrayed by the aptly-realized but underutilized Jennifer Carter. In her search for closure following a traumatic childhood incident, Jessica inadvertently invites something sinister into her life. What unfolds is a predictably fragmented narrative that seems to take creative cues from countless better horror flicks, never quite managing to carve its own identity.
The film dives into themes of possession and the battle between good and evil but falters in execution. It flits between moments that aspire for emotional depth and gimmicky scares, leaving the audience teetering uncomfortably on the precipice of boredom. The lack of a cohesive tone bites hard—there’s a misalignment between the film’s attempted earnestness and its over-the-top horror tropes. Just when you think you’re about to dig into something profound, the film almost sheepishly flests back into cliché territory, dulling any stakes it tries to establish.
The acting is serviceable, but even talented performers like Thora Birch, who plays a pivotal supporting role, struggle to elevate the lackluster script. Their characters, while fleshed out with potential, hang in limbo of verbal shortfalls and uneven development. It’s hard to connect with them, which is crucial in a horror film where the audience should feel the emotional weight of each twist and turn.
The direction, helmed by Jason DeVan, seems intent on creating an eerie atmosphere, but the juggling of suspenseful elements with uninspired jump scares leads to a muddled experience. Of course, the score—an obligatory synthesizer-driven accompaniment—attempts to enhance the unease but often resonates with the heavy-handedness of a tiresome hammer rather than a subtle whisper in the dark.
Cinematically, the film has flashes of competence with some moody lighting and interesting framing, but these glimmers are obscured by uninspired production design. Beyond the initial environment of foreboding, it seems the film opts for a ‘less is more’ aesthetic, leaving too many gaps in visual storytelling.
Editing feels like a chore, losing the important rhythm anticipated in horror pacing. Scenes drag when they should build tension, and the resulting shifts often feel abrupt, killing any atmosphere the filmmakers worked so hard to establish.
While “Along Came the Devil” does welcome glimpses of potential, it ultimately loses its grip on the audience amidst narrative disarray and predictable horror conventions. Walking out of the theater, I felt as though I had been promised a thrilling engagement with the dark side only to settle for a lukewarm experience—definitely not the haunting ride I had hoped for.
In a genre that thrives on building suspense and cathartic scares, “Along Came the Devil” reminds us that sometimes, the devil is in the details—and in this case, they were far too sparse to leave any lasting impression.
