DEVIL'S DUE (REVIEW)

Dir. Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett

Reviewer. Martyn Wakefield

When newlyweds Zach (Zach Gilford) and Samantha (Allison Miller) take a honeymoon vacation they come back learning that from a night they have no recollection, a new addition to the family will soon be upon them. Throughout the following months, events get darker as that forgotten night in the Dominican becomes a night they’ll wish to remember.

From the underground caverns of hell to the suburban high life, it all comes crashing down, one piece of furniture at a time until there is nothing but blood and disorder and an inevitable link that there’s more to come. Unfortunately, a mere attempt to create an opening for a sequel sacrifices the meaning of the film and makes even less sense than the unfolding events and conspicuous attempts at making a believable found footage film.

‘Devil’s Due’ does very little wrong as a horror film. The pace is well suited, Miller and Gilford give believable performances and the action plays out better than most when it comes to the found footage genre. A shame then that this has been done so many times before that the same old vice is churned out and it all becomes a little predictable.

Apart from a few cool scenes showcasing where the budget went and some genuine scares, ‘Devil’s Due’ is too clichéd to be memorable and even as I write this I struggle to find anything other than disappointment that this could have been more. A pity for a film that has so much potential yet is ultimately a missed opportunity which falls short due mainly to its found footage format, not its writing.

Often referenced as the ‘Rosemary’s Baby’ of found footage but what Polanski achieved in his classic was a subtle level of fear that near scared the living daylights out you but instead crept under your skin long after the final credits yet ‘Devil’s Due’ throws everything it has at you and you can comfortable leave without a mark.