The Devil's Candy

Watching this movie, you get this sense that something isn't right. It doesn't have anything to do with the quality of the film, but the underlying themes presented within. The story of a demonic force that uses a persons talents as a means to channel evil is pretty original, but the way that the story just burrows under your skin like a lesion is just the tip of the iceberg. The acting is great, and each character carriers a nuance that is hard to find in the horror genre. The script is subdued, but what it lacks in any depth it more than makes up for in creep-factor. Like watching a satanic ritual as you hide in a corner, unseen, this movie forces you to witness madness, and how art can be used to channel some twisted and diseased emotions.

This movie is reminiscent of The VVItch, in that both feature no real blood or gore, but still manage to disturb to the highest degree. The is no overt violence, but the few scenes that show it are haunting. I watched this film three nights ago and I am still thinking about it. That guitar riff has been sneaking its way into my dreams, and that in itself is an accomplishment. This is not a movie for everyone, and gore hounds will be sorely disappointed. What it is, however, is a private look into the mind of those affected with psychosis, and how the world seems to bend and warp around you as you battle mental illness.

A film about Satan and the devil, how classic. There's an undercurrent of pure dread to this flick. It works its way through the film's veins using music cues, whispering demonic voices and haunting images. Ethan Embry's performance is superbly crafted. A well-meaning dad, that rocks out to metal and paints pictures all day. He feels very real and not like a caricature. (He also gets ripped for this flick, I guess because he paints shirtless for a few scenes. It seems unnecessary, distracting and unfitting for his character but sure).

He begins to hear voices and see things and paint horrible stuff he doesn't understand. It's all very unnerving and convincing and seems to be leading to some inevitable catastrophe.

But the film lets up in the home stretch. It becomes a bit of a supernatural home invasion flick. The film seems undecided about whether there are real demons at play, which unfocuses the movie and makes it seem unsure of itself. The film isn't exactly about investigating the place demons have in the modern world either. It just knows they are inextricably linked with metal. A lot of the build-up seems for naught in the end and it's a real shame.

Byrne has great ideas, a wonderful grasp of character, atmosphere, tension, but maybe not enough to say?

A struggling painter (Ethan Embry) is possessed by supernatural forces after he and his young family move into their dream home in rural Texas (just north of Austin), in this creepy haunted-house tale.

First and foremost, this film deserves credit for working in the metal-horror connection. You don't have to enjoy metal to enjoy this movie, but I think it helps. One reason the 1980s were a great decade for horror is because it was also a great decade for punk and metal. "Devil's Candy" doesn't try to be an 80s throwback, but does offer something of a modern equivalent.

Leading us through the film is Ethan Embry. Like many others, my love for Embry is strong. Not to pigeon-hole him, but he has been in a number of horror films in the last decade (such as the brilliant "Late Phases") and as part of the horror community I'd like to claim him as one of ours. Fans of "Grace and Frankie" may fight me, but we would all agree he is a great actor and truly underrate. Casey Affleck an Oscar contender? Really? Embry emotes with his eyes in way that few others can -- we have seen him sensitive, petrified, terrifying, and everything else. Some of that we see in this film (though luckily for us he is more on the good side this time around).

And countering Embry is Pruitt Taylor Vince, who unfortunately is probably best known as a "character actor" who has one of those faces you have seen 100 times but don't know the name. If this is you, make this the movie you start remembering Vince for. Holy smokes. He has had a handful of "idiot" or "incompetent" roles, but he really turns it on here, making us wonder just how much he is tormented inside and having pity on him, even though we know within the first five minutes that he is a tool of the devil.

The plot is thin, but not necessarily in a bad way. Rather than get bogged down or become too cerebral, "Devil's Candy" prefers to keep the pace moving so we can get punched in the face over and over again in its relatively short running time. You like cerebral horror? Great, we can watch "Frailty". This is not that film. But it is one filled with rich atmospheric cinematography and a dark, yet vibrant color palette (if such a combination is possible). With all due respect to writer-director Sean Byrne, it is cinematographer Simon Chapman who sold me on this film.

The only thing that left me wondering, is why did the film take so long for a proper release? Beginning in 2015, it was floating around film festivals, receiving praise. The journey continued throughout 2016, and we finally see a release from IFC in March 2017. I suspect maybe it was securing the music budget, as getting the rights to put Metallica's "For Whom the Bell Tolls" on DVD is probably not cheap. But what do I know? Regardless, IFC must be thanked for getting this out to the masses. Perhaps not the best horror film coming out on home video this year, but I assure you it is far from the worst. Any horror fan who has 90 minutes to spare would be investing their time wisely with "The Devil's Candy".

"This is different. I've never had a muse before. I don't remember painting this. It's like it's, it's like somethin'.. It flowed through me."

I won't beat around the bush. I thought "The Devil's Candy" was unparalleled. And not because of the demonic story itself. But because of the appearance of Jesse Hellman (Ethan Embry). A true metal-head who throws himself, stripped to the waist, on a canvas cloth with spray cans during the night. A prehistoric looking guy with lank greasy hair, gleaming because of his with oil smeared muscles. He tries to put the energy he receives from listening to squealing and howling guitars into his artworks. In a way he reminded me of Rob Zombie. The day the family Hellman (appropriate name!) decides to move into a sweet-looking little house somewhere in Texas, Jesse doesn't realize that the dark forces that are present there, will inspire him in a very different way.

It's never really frightening so to speak. No paranormal events or sudden jump-scares that'll spook you. The eerie part is developed in a more subtle way here. The demonic character of a former resident who's either possessed by satanic forces or simply mentally disturbed, is the thing that makes for some scary and eerie moments. I'm talking about Ray (Pruitt Taylor Vince). A somewhat fuzzy and labile-like person. Not long after the Hellemans moved, this retarded person shows up at the door and claims that he needs to return to his former home, so he can produce a deafening sound on his red Gibson Flying V again. Noise he needs to produce in order not to hear those adjuring voices. Voices that incite him to perform disgusting acts.

Although it's a horror, it's not really bloody. You can imagine what dreadful murders are happening. And at some point when Jesse is painting again, you'll see fragments of red paint mixed with seemingly bloody fragments. But it's never explicitly shown. There are moments when you can feel the helplessness of a future victim. The powerlessness and the realization what's waiting for them, provide an uncomfortable feeling. Ultimately, you can ask yourself the question whether it's really Satan who's ordering Ray. Or is he just a mentally disturbed person who hears voices and is guided by them. More or less it's explained a bit by the preacher in a religious television program. Satan isn't only that metaphysical character with horns and a pointed tail. It's not only that mask that's being worn at Halloween or the character you'll see in a movie. It's an aggressive anti-Christ who lives among us and uses us to carry out his unspeakable deeds. In a less religious context it simply means the evil that proliferates in humans.

The story isn't very original, but the undertone of the film is fascinating. The fact that the film is filled up with brutal metal sound, creates of course an extra satanic dimension. Personally I still think it's absolutely ridiculous, but the association of Satan with metal is never far away. Well, probably there still are some blockheads who think that Ray's actions are a result of listening to heavy metal. Ultimately, the film balances between a psychic, demonic story, and the story of a serial killer who's guided by an evil influence. I thought it was fascinating enough anyway!

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It's not disturbing, not gory, not even scary... I can't understand why there are so many reviews claiming that this movie is good horror. It had so much potential and failed to deliver on all fronts. As a satan obsessed metal head, I thought this movie would be right up my ally, but no. It was cliché in all the worst ways, boring, and not creative. There were some opportunities for it to be really gruesome or disturbing that simply weren't taken. Felt like a PG-13 wannabe horror movie trying way too hard to be original. I think the only moment I enjoyed was when the four-horned goat appeared in the yard.