There is no film more deserving of the "cult movie" status. This film is wholly original and bizarre, yet charming as can be and flawlessly executed. It's Buffy the Vampire Slayer as an '80s rom-com with a dash of Dr. Horrible campiness. It's Benny & June as a supernatural absurdist B-Movie.
While most reviews spend time telling you what the movie is about, I think it might be more effective to tell you why it's worth your time.
The narrative defies convention at every turn and plays the audience's expectations against them. That said, it is important to note that this is all in service of the story and characters. The twists are as clever as they are unusual.
Genre-wise, this movie isn't any one thing. It's horror, comedy, fantasy, romance, and absurdism all in one. It adheres to its own rules, but does so competently. It shouldn't work on any level, but it ends up working on every level.
Every single character in this movie is well established and has a complete arc. The chemistry between the two leads is electric and their romance is adorable beyond words. Kaz and Denny are some of the more unique leads you will ever encounter, but I challenge you not to fall in love with them.
If you take a look through some of the negative reviews, you will begin to question what I have written. This movie stars no one you probably know and is made by people you for sure have never heard of. You've probably never met someone who has seen this movie, so how can it be that good?
Let me then go onto say, this movie isn't for everyone.
You have to be the type of person that enjoys both Gremlins and Gremlins 2: The New Batch. Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure and Bill & Ted's Bonus Journey. If you only like the first movie for these, but not the second, My Demon Lover is probably not your cup of tea.
I use these examples because a lot of people love the original Gremlins and Bill & Ted, but hate the sequels. The sequels take an already strange concept and make it ten times stranger. They embrace the weird and explode with imagination. My Demon Lover does the same (though it leans into character and story much more than those two examples).
This movie hasn't yet had the resurgence it deserves, but you can help change that. It took decades before Monster Squad gained notoriety, now it's My Demon Lover's turn.
After years of showing this movie to friends, I can tell you that the reaction is 50/50, and goes one of two ways: love or confusion. At the very worst, you will find yourself watching a movie unlike any you have ever seen. At best, you will have stumbled into a lost gem from the '80s that will stick with you for years to come. It's weird, original, charming as all hell and deserving of your time.
