Succubus

This intense and visceral horror film about the dangerous and obviously seductive succubus (a female demon that preys on men) takes its material seriously. It is a slow burn of authentic plot design that portrays an estranged husband whose descent into terror is believable and realistic. This sinister movie has a credible message about temptation and its consequences using even some echoes from films such as John Cusack's superior occult horror 1408 (2007) and as well as his bizarre role in the highly rated Being John Malkovich (1999). The low IMDb rating could be attributable to the overall creepy and insidious nature of the succubus as depicted in this movie which would repulse women and terrify men. However, this movie by its end has both a bitter yet sweet ending of sorts and the excellent special effects and the creeping horror of its believable plot outline is worth remembering for anyone who lives on the edge of instability and wanton desire.

I liked this movie quite a bit. I know nothing about dating apps - but the use if a dating app and the uses of chat and the computer/social media in general was very effective. My guess is that no dating app has women as young and attractive as most of those in whatever app Chris was using. And probably that not many women that young and attractive are very interested in going out with a father in the middle of a separation with a very young child, but what do I know?

If you get past that - and suspend belief that said father would not be suspicious about a woman who looked like Rachel Cook oozing over him - the movie is very much fun. Ron Perlman is not going to win an Academy Award for his performance, but the character was fun - I spent a lot of the movies trying to figure out whose side he was really on.

The succubus mythology was interesting and the final ending both surprising and foreshadowed.

An altogether competent bit of fun.

The Plot: A new father struggling with fatigue, emotional insecurities, and a failing marriage joins a dating app, only to swipe right on what may be an inhuman presence.

This is perhaps the WORST movie made in 2024. Perhaps in the past ten full years. There is nothing to recommend it so I am shocked by the "ten" ratings saying this is a classic.

It's downright horrible on every level.

The direction is less than mediocre. The dude who directed this trash should never work again. The pace is literally slower than pouring honey in a glass.

You will find yourself saying -- can we get to the point already?

Plus, the script is way sub-par and the acting is mediocre at best.

Written and directed by R. J. Daniel Hanna, the movie follows Chris (Brendan Bradley), a separated new father, creating an account on a dating app and finding himself lured by a mysterious girl he matched with named Adra (Rachel Cook).

Succubus is a movie that has a decent beginning where what is seen is mostly through the screen as the protagonist is video calling with his best friend while swiping right on the dating app. You can feel where the story is heading as he comes across Rachel Cook's profile. A profile that screams scam in every single way where to proceed would require a suspension of logic and sense, but nonetheless she is real, and from then on strange things start to happen. Brendan Bradley is good playing the struggling father, and Ron Perlman as Dr. Orion Zephyr is definitely a strong presence on the film. However, the story loses its steam in the second half where the turn of events departs from what came before and goes for the paranormal. It is one of those cases where it probably would have worked better if the story never left the initial setting and the realm of the real.

It could be said the movie is an allegory for monogamy since many times the decisions the protagonist takes, ultimately putting himself in danger, are always related to finding the fulfillment of desire outside matrimony. It would seem Succubus is preaching that pleasure should only be sought between monogamous normative relationships, and everything outside its realms is deemed a one-way path to doomland. In any case, it is a movie with a good idea that sadly was not translated to the screen.

Generally, the horror genre has not been the go-to category for streaming services lately, with most product mainly imitative, paying only lip-service to the classics. 2024 however has a different feel to it, with some very talented people, both in front of and behind the camera, approaching the core notion of horror from new and interesting angles. Check out for example the novel scripting in ABIGAIL, LONGLEGS, and the completely unforgettable (even if you actually want to) THE SUBSTANCE. SUCCUBUS 2024 continues this trend. Creator R. J. Daniel Hanna, best known for the well-received social drama MISS VIRGINIA 2019, goes genre-hopping here. He attempts to deliver a product that both scares and educates at the same time. The really scary (!) thing is that it almost hits both targets, with a tale that is unique enough to hold attention, and alert enough to flag the "horror" of Social Media in our daily lives. Perlman as supporting actor always adds gravitas to any production, and Rachel Cook will likely bring in enough of her worldwide fans to put SUCCUBUS on the 2024 Leaderboard. ((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))