Trying a new method of reform on teens, a group of troubled youths is sent off to clean an old asylum for community service where they find a book that shows the asylum was built on a brothel whose members worshiped an evil Aztec God and must get out before succumbing to the threat.
This was a pretty good surprise. The film's greatest strength is its rather enjoyable cheesy atmosphere that's enough to give this a high watch-ability. It's mostly centered around the slow-burn build-up that focuses on the group's arrival at the asylum and the various hints that something isn't right with the pace that leads to the revelation of the book and what it leads to. Knowing the background on the group that previously inhabited the asylum and their set up there, including the Satanic origins found strewn over the asylum found during their clean-up, the investigation into the mysterious whorehouse that was originally built and flashing shots of their history all create an eerie and chilling backstory that sets everything in motion. Once this setup is in place, the film starts in on a series of impressive series of supernatural action that keeps the film watchable. The various visions are pretty creepy involving flashes of the cult sacrificing their victims by chopping them to pieces or seeing animals which aren't that, and the best is the snake gag in the bathroom which has a small twist to it rather than being a traditional gag that makes the scene work. It has a couple of nice shock moments here and there featuring the ghostly spirits suddenly appearing out of nowhere as well, and the high-energy finale involving demon possession, an onslaught of otherworldly figures, and the few gore scenes, which isn't over-the-top but is more effective for that, carries enough to like that really holds this one up as the film really isn't all that bad. There really wasn't a whole lot of things wrong with it. The most obvious one is the very slow beginning that at times is really a struggle to get through the first half. There's a lot of bickering amongst the group that really doesn't do much other than drag out the film with useless scenes that are merely reinforcements of what was known earlier and really gets old fast as there's yet another scene of the group arguing with each other. That also puts all the action at the back end of the film, meaning that it really gets going towards the end and is a little slow as it starts itself off. It's a little clichéd as well, as there are several other films with pretty much the same general plot. It hardly finishes itself in a predictable manner but then it doesn't really show much change while doing so either. These are the two main problems with the film.
Rated R: Graphic Language, Nudity, several Sex Scenes, Graphic Violence, and drug use.
