PopHorror Let's Get Scared
I must admit, I’m a sucker for horror movies that take place in the woods. That eerie feeling as the sunsets and darkness engulfs the forest… During the day, it can be scary, but at night, it’s pitch black as if you’ve entered oblivion. It’s almost as if found yourself in another world. The shadows get scarier, the wind is colder, and the trees are watching you carefully to make sure you never leave. It’s a scary thing for anyone… or maybe it’s scary for me. But you have to admit, it’s the fear of the unknown that can be horrifying. Another scary thing is learning the truth of somebody or something. That’s one thing we can’t really escape from, because like the shadows of the night, it follows us everywhere. The movie I want to talk about today that deals with these subjects is Demigod, co-written by Michael Donovan Horn (The Dinner Party 2020 – our review) and the film’s director, Miles Doleac (Hallowed Ground 2019 – our review).
The plot of the movie:
Upon the death of her grandfather, a woman and her husband return to her birthplace in Germany’s Black Forest, only to find a terrifying secret awaits them.
DemiGod has an interesting opening sequence that will capture the interest of the audience. Of course, it’s in German but with subtitles. It helps the movie introduce the characters and also intrigues the viewer on what’s happening.
I did enjoy the cinematography which helped showcase the landscape of the film, giving it a feel that Demigod was shot on location and not on a sound stage or using stock footage of a backdrop.
The music has this eerie ’70s and ’80s vibe to it which helps one stay focused on this demonic storyline.
I will say this is a slow burn film, and some people may be turned off while others will be invested. I wanted to see where the story was going and the development of the characters such as Robin (Rachel Nichols: Amityville Horror 2005) and Leo (Yohance Myles: Containment 2016). The actors give a great performance as a married couple, which, when we see them later in the movie, we become emotionally attached to them as we soon learn their fate.
However, though the first kill in Demigod feels mediocre. They’re thrown into the storyline for the sake of showing a death. I felt if these characters were shown earlier or along with Robin and Leo, then I could have been invested in them just as much.
I will say that the cabin in the movie is well done. I’m glad they didn’t go the typical route of a broken-down old cottage that screams Evil Dead, which has been done to death. In Demigod, it’s the terror outside that the audience endures instead of the interior of a house.
The third act does have some interesting scenes, including some flashbacks that help create the character of Robin where we see her growing up.
However, the finale falls flat for me, not really giving it a satisfying ending. The twist is worth it, but the execution of the finale just didn’t do it for me. I must give credit to the creators of DemiGod with their attention to detail, as well as making some characters interesting and some decent scare tactics. But in the end, some scenes could’ve been trimmed or cut. With the Halloween season rapidly coming to an end, I urge you to rent it and decide for yourself.
