Review of Prince of Darkness (1987) by Filipeneto — 19 May 2018

This is yet another biblically-based horror film that tackles the end of the world. In this case, it focuses on a small abandoned church where a mysterious brotherhood kept a large hermetically sealed cylinder containing a viscous substance.

The movie never tells us what that thing is, nor how it was stuck there, nor does it explain why it came out of the cocoon (one of the biggest problems in the script). But the truth is that it looks like a milkshake of wickedness, evil concentrated.

And in it lies the secret to awaken the Prince of Darkness. The movie may seem strange and very unbelievable because of these elements, but the truth is that it works very well as a horror movie. John Carpenter is a master at creating suspense and scare the audience, and he achieves one more success in this film, probably one of the least known of his consecrated career.

Donald Pleasence is the most obvious name of the cast, in the role of an unusual Catholic priest. The cast, on the whole, fairly complied with what was demanded of it. The special effects are good but the characterization and the wardrobe deserve special applause because they stand out, particularly as the film draws to an end.