Rise of the Demons

An Argentinian horror experience with impressive practical effects but can't say the same about the visual effects. As a stranger to the Argentinian storytelling I couldn't vibe with this film. The film trailer looked interesting that's why I decided to give it a shot.

An Argentinian horror experience with impressive practical effects but can't say the same about the visual effects. As a stranger to the Argentinian storytelling I couldn't vibe with this film. The film trailer looked interesting that's why I decided to give it a shot.

An Argentinian horror experience with impressive practical effects but can't say the same about the visual effects. As a stranger to the Argentinian storytelling I couldn't vibe with this film. The film trailer looked interesting that's why I decided to give it a shot.

Cannot over-emphasize how unusual this script is. Supernatural/horror films always tend to revolve around the same, basic, dozen or so plot arcs. Even film legends like Whedon can only succeed at making something "new" by deconstructing something "old" -- CABIN IN THE WOODS, 2011. Auteur Fabián Forte, however, set out to create something legitimately different. And he succeeded. After opening with a killer quote from the Teachings of Don Juan (!), we meet the protagonist, who is old, and institutionalized, and in serious legal trouble. The other patients/inmates simply cannot get enough of his crazy tales about being the descendant of a long bloodline of brujos (shamans). In his younger days, he lost a key battle with a specific demon. As a result, he lost his wife, and also failed to protect his daughter from a curse. His daughter, now an adult who thinks her father really is a homicidal maniac that truly belongs behind bars, is in grave jeopardy. To save her, he must break out, earn back her trust, and then use his rusty skills against the demon. The story is developed very slowly and patiently. It is one of those films you will either love, or you will quickly tire of. No in-between. Recommended. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))

Confined to a mental asylum, a spiritual medium who notices oncoming signs of demonic activity regarding a powerful deity looking to use his estranged daughter in a cursed ritual must escape with help from his friends and reconnect with her past to stop the being from carrying out its plans.

Overall, this was a highly enjoyable genre effort. Among the most likable factors here come from the rather impressive setup that brings together a strange semblance of storylines. The work involved here in tying together the life of the spirit medium who possesses old-world powers and insight into the folklore around him who's now confined to an asylum for his behavior and tries to placate those around him with plays about his life creates a fine baseline here. The need to reach his daughter and open her eyes to their legacy and history as a dealer with this kind of supernatural battle against the demonic forces has a great touch to this build-up. This allows for a great series of brutal and enjoyable series showing the powers being explored against the demons. Starting with the initial sequel of the exorcism attempt on the possessed village girl that showcases their abilities with the contorting demon coming after him, this one manages a fine start to this one. The flashbacks to their battles fighting off the creatures in the jungle serve this one quite nicely as well with the big finale featuring the battle to stop the demon from taking over his daughter which has some fun to be had utilizing the folklore of the area into the big confrontation that takes place. These factors combine together into making for a fun time here. There are some issues to be had with this one. Among the biggest drawbacks of this one is the somewhat overlong build-up present here which takes far too long for the action to get going. Dealing as much as it does with life in the institution and trying to win over his daughters 'trust manage to eat up way too much of the running time not dealing with the big threat towards the family lineage. There's also very little here about how the demons' actions work or how the whole sacrifice works which are due to the lack of time devoted to the demons in favor of the outside elements in play here. That also keeps the gore level down from what it could've been, keeping this one down for the most part.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Language and Graphic Violence.

NOT FOR EVERYONE.

IT may look funny and comedy to many yes but it has a message that reserved only for people who have knowledge about the other side ,

so give a try only if you wanna aware of the other side. If you go into it expecting the Argentinian Evil Dead, you will likely be let down. While it does have some comedic elements, it's not an overly campy, laugh-out-loud venture. And by no means is this an ultra-gory splatterfest. But that doesn't mean it doesn't have plenty going for it. It's just important to set your expectations accordingly.

Director Fabián Forte explained his vision for the film:

"LEGIONS is a supernatural story that mixes different narrative lines and genres. The story is fantastic and contains irony, humor, and, obviously, the elements of the horror genre. These ingredients, plus strong and human characters, evil and imaginary beings (or perhaps not), the dizzying pace, and the climates of tension, create a product designed for a young audience, where adrenaline and humor are the support to tell a mystical and critical history of the modern world and the lack of beliefs."