Where the Devil Roams

Short review: 'Where the Devil Roams' made me really happy. To see a family making independent horror movies is terrific, but these are anything but your average home movies. This one is made with a lot of class. It's extremely dark in the early going, but it isn't afraid to throw in some moments of humour. And it's absolutely funny stuff, but the tone is so dark you can almost feel bad for laughing.

This one was described to me before going in as a slow-burn, but I'm not sure I'd agree with that assessment. There's a hell of a lot of violence and mayhem for a 'Slow-burn". Then the twisted ending is the cherry on top. I enjoyed this movie. 7/10.

I really love the other titles this family has given us. My expectations for a film are rather particular and my tastes are a little exacting. Not many pictures particularly move me. When I heard Wonder Wheel had a new movie, I was genuinely excited. Trying to keep my hopes in check, I still knew they're not going to shy away from making a gripping movie that's unafraid of a supernatural concept. The creepy carnival gig is right up my proverbial street.

But there's so little plot. This isn't a movie so much as an art project and a showcase for their daughter's ability to sing a capella.

I respect what they were going for, I respect what they were trying to accomplish but it's not for me, as much as I really wanted it to be.

My patience with their projects will not be wearing thin anytime soon. I will continue to follow them until Zelda gets her big break which I see coming sooner rather than later. I think mom and dad are geniuses artistically and Zelda has undeniable talent. And Lulu forget about it I'm absolutely in love with Lulu and she's so sexy. With that said I really liked this movie and the whole carnival concept I just feel like it was a little longer than it needed to be. From the outside looking it the movie could've ended when the mom and dad were killed and could've probably had a scene or two after to show Zelda either transitioning into her own form of deranged killer or have her discover and transition into this divine good person she never knew she was but always wanted to be, accompanied with her finding her voice and heading towards normal. It could've ended either way but to me those would've been good endings that would've kept us wanting more. After the axe scene where the breathtakingly gorgeous lulu murders the mom and dad I felt a little disengaged as I was expecting that to be the end so I couldn't really get into what followed the way I was up until that buildup. Sort of like when you ride the roller coaster after that first drop it's hard to build that feeling of the first drop again because it's already passed and looking at the roller coaster from the outside you see that the first drop is the big one. Anyway enough of my metaphors. I think Zelda has something else in the making according to IMDB so I will be watching. I will also continue to follow the family until they knock it out the park which I have a feeling they will. Living around upstate New York myself I feel connected to them. I hope they continue to thrive.

Please wait through the opening poetry reading (which I didn't care for), and you'll be rewarded with a solid little indie horror. I've liked other Adams family movies, and this one fits into their work nicely.

"The Deeper You Dig" was my first one and is still on my list of favorite "must see" October movies. It has a wonderful twist at the end, and the ending of this one provides just as good of a payoff.

Story = 5/10. I wasn't quite sure why the family wasn't traveling with the circus, but their horrific side trips wouldn't have happened otherwise.

Cinematography = 8/10 -- it's visually stunning. I loved the look of it and paid more attention to enjoying the imagery than to the story in some parts.

Recommended if you like different, weird stories.

The filmmaking Adams family make low budget,chilly horrors that are several cuts above the usual stalk and slash horrors that populate the market. They have a keen eye for character and atmosphere that make for a more subtle horror, with well drawn characters that add to a rather brave whole.

Unfortunately here the plot is bogged down with tedious hallucinationary scenes, an overlong opening that doesn't excite or grab the audience but is daring nonetheless, and a music video that plays weirdly at the end- It adds nothing really.

The piercings and tattoos on the carnival workers,seem too modernistic out of place , like Lucy Osbourne appeared,minus her sodding phone!

The CGI on the WW1 scenes are a little too unsubtle.

Nonetheless, I applaud this family of filmmakers for trying to appeal to the more adult of horror fans. The designs and cinematography effectively evoke the back roads of 30s Catskills, the chilly look got to my bones and they look of the time and place.

After a couple of predictable' found footage' films of late at least these guys know there is room for low budget horror to develop interesting ideas rather than cliched use of the camera and lines of dialogue.

It could have been better but overall a memorable little chiller.