There is trouble in paradise. If you’ve ever thought your love life couldn’t get any worse, just know there may be a succubus messing it all up for you. For the people in this movie, that is definitely the case. A nightmare in a red trench coat stalks the streets in this supernatural dark comedy from Andrew de Burgh. The Demoness is hellbent on letting evil loose, starting with the Sunset Hills.
The Demoness tells the tale of a tormented succubus from hell who one day awakens in the house of a suburban and struggling Los Angeles couple. With the guidance of her lover Satan, she soon makes her way into the lives of the couple and into the city itself to wreak havoc on suspecting individuals.
The Demoness, Amazon Prime Video
And what a way to start the film. Even if this couple wasn’t the subject of a succubus’ torment, they would have killed each other regardless. While The Demoness‘ (human) characters are all well and good, the clear standout is Sydney Culbertson as the Demoness and her human disguise, Charlotte. Dressed simply in red with ghastly facial prosthetics, jerky movement, and a voice from the depths of Hell itself, she plays the part of a wicked entity that thrives on suffering. Even “Charlotte” has a face card to kill, perfectly matching the LA influencer/model aesthetic often referenced in the movie.
Being a supernatural, dark horror comedy (with some fantasy and thriller thrown in there), The Demoness tries its best to do all of those things. The supernatural and fantasy are there by way of demons from Hell. The dark comedy got me a few times, mainly with the Satan character (Mark Pontarelli); compared to the Demoness, he is a rather plain red-painted man with a deepened voice and a hood. Thriller is covered by the small bit of detective work done — the Demoness kills someone connected to the police, who come looking for him after the she gets her hands on him.
And of course, there is the horror element. The Hell/Demons/Satan part is obvious, but The Demoness also has some effect work. Bigger kills — those done with machetes, chainsaws, and hammers, were often spiced up with CG. And while those effects honestly weren’t the greatest, I chalked it up to adding to that “comedy” aspect. Other kills showed a lot of practical blood, which I appreciated. Plus, the Demoness’ face suits her evil form well.
I’ve done a few “Bad Movies Gone Good” spotlight reviews on Let’s Talk Terror, and I think The Demoness would fit right in with those. This is certainly not the best movie I have ever seen; there are some issues with effects and pacing (namely a club scene that goes on a little too long), but its unintentional hilarity and a few solid moments near the end sell it for me. The Demoness isn’t meant to win any Oscars or change the genre; it’s there for some low-stakes enjoyment. It’s a sleeper flick that you may pass on the first go-around, but staying for a watch with an open mind is worth the small rental fee.
Stream The Demoness now on Amazon Prime Video. Be sure to follow the movie and writer/director Andrew de Burgh on Instagram.
