Review of The Devil's Candy (2016) by Michael M — 05 Feb 2018

When I saw critics talking about this movie, it sounded like one of those artsy horror movies we've been getting more of lately. You know, stuff like The Witch or It Comes At Night or to a lesser degree It Follows. Not a bad thing, I like those movies for a taste of something different, so I checked it out. And it's really not one of those movies. Kind of, but not really.

It's one of the most genuine and unrelenting horror movies I've ever seen. Nothing about it feels forced, nothing about it feels pretentious, and nothing about it feels like the result of marketing research. It's not trying to tell a bigger story or find a deeper meaning, it's just a messed up story that it's going to show you for 78 minutes. Honestly, I kind of love that about it.

You can find deeper meaning in it if you want. There's certainly something about passion consuming someone to where he forgets everything else, and there are some biblical elements and religious overtones, but this stuff is only there is you want to find it. At its core it's a dark story of a family trying to survive a messed up series of events.

It's also a very contained movie. There's probably less than 10 characters total, and only 4 who really matter (arguably only 3), and while you can find deeper meaning to the story the conflict at the surface is pretty straightforward. It's how it handles this conflict though that makes the film so god damn brilliant. There's an overwhelming sense of dread right from the start. There's directing choices that you may not notice at first glance, but add to this sensation. Things like using the same shot from a hallway whenever we're in it so we don't get a clear sense of space, or lingering on a long take when there's very little (if any) action happening. Things like this could be seen as amateurish mistakes if handled improperly, but here they work, and add to the uncomfortable feeling.

The movie has overtones of a supernatural element, but at its core it feels incredibly real. It's the type of story that could (and to some degree has) happen. The character reactions all feel very real, especially the teenage daughter. I've never seen this girl before, she doesn't even have a Wikipedia page, but she is absolutely incredible. She has to go to some extremely dark places for her role, and she always nails it.

I could keep gushing about this movie, but it's easier for you to just go and see it yourself. It's a dark, at times unpleasant, but always intriguing horror movie. Despite its pitch black story elements, it's surprisingly extremely enjoyable to watch. Hardcore horror that deamands to be seen.