The Midnight Horror: 'Devoured' (2012)

♰ Welcome to The Midnight Horror! ♰

Perhaps it took until the 14th day of my Midnight Horror selections to finally claw my way past the utter crap-fests of the previous nights. In the wee hours of the morning, I plunged into the 2012 low-budget horror flick, Devoured, penned by Marc Landua and directed by the visionary Greg Oliver. I imagine most horror aficionados have already stumbled upon this flick, as it’s been lurking on free streaming platforms for quite some time, eagerly awaiting its chance to haunt unsuspecting viewers.

The tale unfolds around Lourdes (Marta Milans), an immigrant mother from Mexico, who reluctantly takes on night shifts as a cleaning woman in a dilapidated old restaurant nestled somewhere in the shadowy depths of New York City. Driven by desperation, she struggles to earn enough money to secure a life-saving operation for her sick son back home. Just when it seems his condition takes a dark turn, malevolent forces within the restaurant begin to pick her apart, tormenting her relentlessly and leaving a trail of devastation in their wake. Lourdes becomes embroiled in a battle against the dual demons of supernatural dread and her own psychological torment as she races against time to return to her beloved son before the darkness devours her very essence.

I was swept through a mix of emotions as I navigated this 90-minute gut-wrencher. For the vast majority, we linger in a psychological haze—a slow burn punctuated by moments of breath-stealing dread and fleeting supernatural occurrences—until the shocking twist slams down like a heavy axe falling from the gallows. Suddenly, the film morphs into a full-throttle horror fest, brimming with shock, gore, and a cavalcade of dead bodies.

Our protagonist, Lourdes, embodies the spirit of a hard-working Mexican woman, battling the chaotic storm that is life in a foreign land for the sake of her ailing son, who is left in the care of his grandmother back in Mexico. Each hard-earned penny she sends home is a lifeline, but the oppressive atmosphere of the restaurant serves as an unwanted backdrop to her struggles. Night after night, she endures the ignorant jeers of male customers and the disdain of her indifferent bosses; all the while, she battles with the haunting, mentally driven supernatural events that reflect the emotional agony carving away at her soul. As the layers of mistreatment pile up, a sinister force awakens, unleashing a torrent of horror that spirals beyond her control.

Devoured is a slow-burning, character-driven drama that has the potential to capture the hearts of horror fans everywhere. I, for one, reveled in its atmospheric dread, devouring every delicious moment it offered. It’s a film that lingers long after the credits roll—smart, haunting, and gory all at once. Recommend it? Absolutely! Just be prepared to embrace the darkness that comes with it. ╌★★★★✰

〜B.J. Burgess