The Devil Outside

This film left me contemplating the ending for some time after the film had finished! It started slowly, but I soon began feeling sympathy for the protagonist, who is being raised by Christian fundamentalist parents, and so the plot appeared to be trite and predictable. But all is not quite what it seems. Highly recommended.

A rather pleasantly twisted (second) coming of rage drama about an innocent teenage boy, Robert (Noah Carson) who has his angsty sexual awakening profoundly aggravated by the increasing sense of emotional isolation he experiences as the sole disbelieving member of a strict Christian community. While deliberately paced, Andrew Hulme's never less than intriguing 'The Devil Outside' is a handsomely shot, oppressively bleak theological thriller that is uncomfortably credible, due in no small part to the strong cast's committed performances. Hulme's cogent, searingly angry text, roils with fervid religious motifs, delivering some palpably unsettling sequences, with off-key folk horror undertones that sinisterly suggests the increasingly destructive intervention of some malign evil! An intelligent, visually engaging examination of religious dogma and madness, this finely wrought independent British feature is clearly an impassioned work from talented writer/director, Andrew Hulme. The oblique tone, and psychological horror tropes are robustly anchored by the demonstratively human elements. 'The Devil Outside' comes highly recommended, and disturbingly proves that man's secular demons are all too often devastatingly real.

7/10 🌠🌠🌠🌠🌠🌠🌠 = ( A small amount of Praise ) It's very difficult trying to categorize the genre of this film it isn't scary or terrifying but most would place it squarely in the horror category which it is of course but that's because of the subject matter and the brilliant way it was written, directed and filmed. But more to the point I felt as though the mystery surrounding certain characters overshadowed all other elements of the film which turns out to be a good thing because it leads to something at the end.

To say this film is a slow burner would be an understatement and it's never boring but at times you may get a little restless waiting for the film to develop from scene to scene and that doesn't happen until the last 5 minutes of the feature. This film also has a few visually stunning moments that creep along giving you ample time to digest what your being fed.

The acting was very good and perfectly fit the pace. I would recommend this movie for those who are patient and enjoy a slow developing tale of a story that's worth the wait.