Review of Deadly Blessing (1981) by Alex R — 24 Jan 2013

Wes Craven has had a long and illustrious career in the horror genre, making some of the most legendary films that would ultimately chill you to the bone. Over the course of his career, he has made a few films that are sadly not as well known as others in his filmography.

Swamp Thing was one such example, the other is Deadly Blessing. Although not one of Craven's best works, this is still one of his most underrated works, and I quite enjoyed it for what it was. The film relies on atmosphere to create the tension unfolding on-screen, and it offers up an entertaining horror experience.

I really don't see why Deadly Blessing got so much flack as it has plenty of effective elements going for it. The cast is good and there are some surprising performances here. The film is much better than one might thing, and though it's not Craven's most stellar picture, it's certainly not his worst either.

The best performances of the film were probably that of Sharon Stone and Michael Berryman, who is an icon of the genre and who always manages to be creepy in his performances. The film tends to deliver enough scares to satisfy your horror needs and even if it's nothing truly remarkable in terms of truly engaging horror, Deadly Blessing is a worthwhile viewing for Wes Craven fans.

The effects are very well done, and add to the thrills that the film provides. For what it is, this is a well crafted film that should be seen if you love supernatural horror and it is not nearly as bad as critics have claimed it to be.

The performances are good, the script is interesting and the plot is entertaining and it deserves to be rediscovered. If you come across this film, give it a shot as it is an overlooked horror flick that has been overshadowed by Wes Craven's later work.