The Midnight Horror: 'Here Comes the Devil' (2012)

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Here I am, cutting it close once again... No excuses this time. I watched the film right on schedule, but then, well, I just got lazy. So, here I sit with today’s Midnight Horror pick: the Mexican flick Here Comes the Devil, a title that I’m sure every horror aficionado has already added to their watchlist. Released back in 2012 and available on free streaming sites, this one had been lurking in the shadows of my mind until I finally gave in and watched it last night.

Written and directed by Adrián García Bogliano, the film spins a chilling tale centered around a couple’s son and daughter, who disappear without a trace on a desolate, cave-riddled mountainside. When the kids suddenly reappear after a night gone awry, they're not quite the same; a haunting change in their demeanor raises alarm bells for their parents. In a gripping twist, the worried mother and father delve into local legends, only to discover that their children might have become prey to something far more sinister—an inescapable evil that seems to have shadowed them home.

Now, if you take a gander at the DVD cover, you might think you’re in for some gory zombie escapade—but let me tell you, I was dead wrong. Instead, what unfolded was a bizarre concoction of revenge and doppelgänger melodrama, peppered with a handful of unsettling scenes. The film opens with a blurry to focused shot of two women making love, an opening that is, unfortunately, fleeting—these characters are short-lived, serving merely to establish a legend with shock value rather than any real depth.

The real meat of the story kicks off when the kids go missing while Dad is busy “playing” a rather dubious game with Mom in the car—yes, that actually happens. After a night filled with suspense, when the children mysteriously reappear, they begin to exhibit strange, erratic behavior that leads the parents down a dark path of suspicion. Believing a local miscreant might be to blame, they take matters into their own hands in a gruesome scene that could crawl right out of your nightmares. And speaking of discomfort, the couple decides to shower together afterward to scrub away the remnants of their little… adventure. Fair warning: there’s a hefty dose of uncomfortable nudity in this film, just in case that wasn’t on your bingo card.

As the narrative unfolds, the kids start skipping school, and their behavior becomes increasingly peculiar. The mother’s instincts kick in, leading her to the unsettling realization that their children have returned with something else—something decidedly inhuman lurking beneath the surface. Spoiler alert: doppelgängers are involved!

I might need to delve deeper into the world of Mexican horror because Here Comes the Devil really caught me off guard—in a deliciously twisted way. It’s refreshingly original and deftly sidesteps most of the typical horror cliches we’ve come to expect. I cared about the characters as their fate unfolded before me, even if the ending was a bit predictable. But you know what? I loved it just the same—it felt right, like the final punchline of a macabre joke. So, brace yourself; this film isn’t for the faint-hearted, but if you’re up for a creepy ride, it just might haunt your dreams! ╌★★★★✰

〜B.J. Burgess