For a while now, I've been wanting to bring back The Midnight Horror Review and make it a weekly event, but I've been debating with myself whether to host it on here or start a Tumblr blog. I almost went with the latter, and I even set everything up, but thanks to my Twitter poll, I stayed where I am.
To kick off the return of The Midnight Horror Review, I am featuring We Summon the Darkness. It will arrive on DVD and Blu-ray on June 9th. It’s already available to rent or buy on Digital, which I how I viewed the flick, courtesy of Lionsgate Home Entertainment.
Directed by Marc Meyers, with a screenplay by Alan Trezza, We Summon the Darkness (R; 91 minutes) is set in 1988 Indiana and centers on Alexis Butler (Alexandra Daddario) and her two friends, Valerie and Beverly (played by Maddie Hasson and Amy Forsyth), who meet three guys, Mark, Kovacs, and Ivan (played by Keean Johnson, Logan Miller, and Austin Swift) at the Soldiers of Satan heavy metal concert. After the concert, they head to Alexis’s father’s secluded house for an after-party. Well, at least that’s what the guys believe!
Alexis, Val, and Bev aren’t metal-heads. They’re actually religious fanatics doing some dirty work for Alexi’s father, Pastor John Henry Butler (played by Johnny Knoxville). Their plans for the night include drugging and murdering Mark, Kovacs, and Ivan, and make the murder scene look like a satanic cult is responsible.
However, things don’t go as planned when Bev gets cold feet and turns the table on her friends.
Directed by Marc Meyers, with a screenplay by Alan Trezza, We Summon the Darkness (R; 91 minutes) is set in 1988 Indiana and centers on Alexis Butler (Alexandra Daddario) and her two friends, Valerie and Beverly (played by Maddie Hasson and Amy Forsyth), who meet three guys, Mark, Kovacs, and Ivan (played by Keean Johnson, Logan Miller, and Austin Swift) at the Soldiers of Satan heavy metal concert. After the concert, they head to Alexis’s father’s secluded house for an after-party. Well, at least that’s what the guys believe!
Alexis, Val, and Bev aren’t metal-heads. They’re actually religious fanatics doing some dirty work for Alexi’s father, Pastor John Henry Butler (played by Johnny Knoxville). Their plans for the night include drugging and murdering Mark, Kovacs, and Ivan, and make the murder scene look like a satanic cult is responsible.
However, things don’t go as planned when Bev gets cold feet and turns the table on her friends.
Final Thoughts
I don’t understand why the movie has received so many critical reviews. Yes, the Christians are the villains in this tale, but there’s no political angle in sight. They’re played out here more like a religious cult than anything else.
The plot is simple as you can get, but the way it’s written and directed, it’s a lot of fun (and bloody). The acting is topnotch; hell, even Taylor Swift’s bother gives a decent performance. For me, Maddie Hasson is the standout as the crazy Val.
The first 30-minutes is a slow-burner, and you'll just have to stay with it until the “twist” arrives. Then it gets good; well, as good as it can get in the over-saturated slasher genre. The musical score by Timothy Williams is excellent. If you’re a fan of the song “Heaven Is A Place On Earth” by Belinda Carlisle, then you’re in luck.
Overall, We Summon the Darkness is an entertaining horror flick that’s worth checking out.
The plot is simple as you can get, but the way it’s written and directed, it’s a lot of fun (and bloody). The acting is topnotch; hell, even Taylor Swift’s bother gives a decent performance. For me, Maddie Hasson is the standout as the crazy Val.
The first 30-minutes is a slow-burner, and you'll just have to stay with it until the “twist” arrives. Then it gets good; well, as good as it can get in the over-saturated slasher genre. The musical score by Timothy Williams is excellent. If you’re a fan of the song “Heaven Is A Place On Earth” by Belinda Carlisle, then you’re in luck.
Overall, We Summon the Darkness is an entertaining horror flick that’s worth checking out.
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