PopHorror Let's Get Scared
With so many cautionary tales of the dark arts leading to horrible ends, most wouldn’t take the chance of opening a door and inviting something into their lives. However, in horror films surrounding possession, those who typically disregard the rules of the supernatural world are skeptics and naive teenagers. Along Came the Devil, directed by Jason DeVan, takes a lesser-seen approach driven by grievance and a need for closure to serve as motive surrounding the invitation of an undesirable entity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jtiKRW7DyE
Inspired by true events, as the case with most possession stories nowadays, Along Came the Devil begins very promisingly with a flashback sequence shedding light on the troubled childhood of Ashley (Sydney Sweeney: Everything Sucks! Netflix series). After the mysterious disappearance of their mother, Ashley and her sister were raised by their abusive father. Ten years later, Ashley finds herself back in her hometown living with her estranged aunt, Tanya Winbourne (Jessica Barth: Ted) while her sister goes to college.
After reconnecting with Hannah (Madison Lintz: The Walking Dead), an old childhood friend, Ashley begins to settle back into her surroundings. However, subtle, odd things begin to happen. Fascinated by the paranormal and knowing Ashley’s desire to reconnect with her mother, Hannah offers a helping hand. Without real knowledge of potential consequences, Hannah and Ashley undergo a ritual to open communication with the deceased so that Ashley may find closure. This inadvertently gives an open invitation to the demonic force that has been shadowing Ashley since her arrival.
With hits such as The Conjuring franchise and classics such as The Exorcist (1973), it is clear that possession films are still very much alive and influential in the world of horror. With so much having been explored in this corner of the genre, originality is few and far between typically residing in special effects, character motives and story angles. Along Came the Devil fuses heavy influence from The Exorcist and The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005), but offers up some chilling visuals, as well as a realistic, relatable motive for seeking communication with the dead.
Due to slightly muddled plot development providing focus on less intense scenes and glossing over sequences that could have highlighted the demonic force creeping into Ashley’s life, Along Came the Devil falls short from the bigger names previously mentioned. However, for an indie film, it is an admirable attempt that won’t go unnoticed by genre fans. Along with great performances by Barth and Lintz, two more faces stand out. Taking on the young priest/old priest roles are Matt Dallas (Kyle XY) and Oscar nominated actor Bruce Davison (X-Men). Both talents are outstanding and bring their respective roles to life with ease. However, it is Sweeney who is phenomenal in the film as the possessed Ashley. This was also highlighted by the excellent work from the makeup and special effects department.
Having read several negative reviews, I cannot quite wrap my head around the displeasure some reviewers have felt. Although it is far from perfect, Along Came the Devil has quite a few commendable elements that has me respectfully disagreeing with the harsher of reviews. Though I do wish the film focused more on Ashley’s childhood and the demonic force, the feature does infuses some originality. Along with some noteworthy performances, the film utilized many practical effects with a little bit of CGI that made the possession scenes surprisingly chilling. However, the twist ending that I honestly did not see coming is the strongest element to which I give props. Along Came the Devil opens in select theaters August 10th.
