Most of the paranormal investigations we normally see have the habit of being a little dry. There may be some noises (their own footsteps) or “orbs” (dust in the air), but nothing is ever too serious. The Devil’s Well is no different; paranormal bloggers Bryan and Karla Marks investigate one of Connecticut’s most-haunted spots, said to be an opening to Hell itself. Things go awry for the couple though, as Karla is left alone near the well and mysteriously vanishes, leaving Bryan to defend himself against being sent to prison. So what do you do when you’re accused of murder? Call up another team of supernatural sleuths and prove your innocence.
If you like POV, Found Footage, or faux documentary horror movies, you’re in for a treat because The Devil’s Well is all three. The backstory is set up for us as we’re given interviews of people involved in the originating incident. This style returns again at the end to wrap the movie up. We’re also shown recovered footage of Karla’s disappearance, as well as POV shots of what goes on in the second investigation. All three of these storytelling elements work flawlessly together to create a wholly-convincing movie.
It also helps to have scares. Jumpscares are not my favorite things in the world, but I do appreciate them when they’re done right. For instance, there were a few points of misdirection where we would see or hear something mildly frightening and think it was over, only to be surprised by the real scare moments later. There were also moments of deeply eerie (non-jumpscare) horror. A scene near the end has cult members surrounding the well, bathed in a red glow while animalistic drumming plays. With every moment that passes as they stand there, we in the audience grow more and more anxious, until the cult members just disappear. That leaves us in a heightened state of distress because we have no idea what happened. Our jitters see no sweet release with a jumpscare. No final monster. Nothing except a lasting feeling of “something’s not right.”
Although I love the pseudo-documentary style, the acting could have been just a pinch more believable. Nearly everyone had something slightly off about how they were describing their stories. It absolutely wasn’t the worst thing in the world and I did believe it for the most part, if only just a little. But as funny as it sounds, I don’t think the acting was so much the actors’ faults, but the writing. The dialog would have been perfect if I were reading it in a book. It was not so perfect having it acted out. The problem is that most people don’t talk so formally in real life, and it would have been appreciated to throw in some slang or any other personal tweaks while speaking.
In the end, the thing that stuck with me most was the ambiance. Days after watching, I kept thinking of the sounds I was hearing and the space I was looking at. Walking through hallways upon hallways of cold, decrepit basement is not something I would have fun doing. Pair that with literal screaming from Hell and that basement feeling is multiplied by a million. If nothing else from The Devil’s Well sticks, let it be the atmosphere.
While I don’t think The Devil’s Well beats other pseudo-documentaries like Noroi: The Curse or The Poughkeepsie Tapes, it sure is surprisingly fun to watch. Yes, I was pulled out of the movie magic a few times by odd dialog, but I was pulled right back in with heartfelt interviews from the paranormal crew, a genuinely creepy setting, and a monster who knew when to make appearances and when to stay hidden. The Devil’s Well had the potential to be way worse based on the found footage aspect alone, but it showed us that these styles of movie still have a few tricks up their sleeves. What The Devil’s Well lacks in Hollywood big-budget screams, it makes up for with atmosphere, and sometimes — nay, a lot of times — that can make all the difference.
Watched The Devil’s Well? Tell us what you think in the comments!
Article previously written for Morbidly Beautiful. This article has since been updated.
