On entering a grim monastery, a novice finds he's been expected. He's always been expected.
Satanic horror that opens with a Damian Omen vibe, switching to an exorcism scenario with shades of The Name of the Rose. So it comes across as a bit of a mash-up ... until the contents of a suitcase are revealed and the intrigue begins.
The mood is very solemn, but that's alleviated by good pace and decent performances, with a series of switcheroos just about preventing a descent into predictability. But this story doesn't take its religion seriously, simply presenting the flip side of faith, when the problem of faith is where the real horrors lie. I think the mark of a good religious horror is that words and spells don't get the job done - the hero has to take action out of choice, as we get with The Exorcist. Perhaps the weakness with this story is that the hero is passive, his fate sealed by words from ye olde booke.
The climax is literal minded, but done very impressively with convincing real effects, while the camera swoops around a vast set as the music builds a sense of menacing doom.
Overall: Well written and produced, but not a first order concept.
Satanic horror that opens with a Damian Omen vibe, switching to an exorcism scenario with shades of The Name of the Rose. So it comes across as a bit of a mash-up ... until the contents of a suitcase are revealed and the intrigue begins.
The mood is very solemn, but that's alleviated by good pace and decent performances, with a series of switcheroos just about preventing a descent into predictability. But this story doesn't take its religion seriously, simply presenting the flip side of faith, when the problem of faith is where the real horrors lie. I think the mark of a good religious horror is that words and spells don't get the job done - the hero has to take action out of choice, as we get with The Exorcist. Perhaps the weakness with this story is that the hero is passive, his fate sealed by words from ye olde booke.
The climax is literal minded, but done very impressively with convincing real effects, while the camera swoops around a vast set as the music builds a sense of menacing doom.
Overall: Well written and produced, but not a first order concept.