Struggling artist Daniel King (an insipid and underwhelming performance by Chris John) is invited by his childhood friend Natasha Carlton (a perky and appealing portrayal by the lovely Carol Kentish) to stay at her house in the coastal village where they both grew up. Daniel's bitchy fiancé Laura (an extremely irritating and off-putting turn by Lara Clancy) tags along. Alas, a dark secret from Daniel's past returns to haunt them all. Director James Shanks, who also co-wrote the talky and tedious script with Jamie Rowland and Matthew J. Coombs, not only allows the meandering and uneventful narrative to plod along at a painfully sluggish pace, but also crucially fails to generate much in the way of either tension or spooky atmosphere. Moreover, the bland main characters, flatly staged attack scenes, a crippling lack of gore, some tacky (not so) special effects, and the limp and unexciting climax don't help matters any. Fortunately, the always robust and welcome presence of Brian Blessed as fanatical priest Father Gabriel Norton injects a jolt of greatly appreciated energy in an otherwise quite dreary affair. On the plus side, the sharp cinematography by Shanks and Rory Gilmartin offers plenty of breathtaking shots of the gorgeous seaside country scenery and Richard Archer's ominous score boasts an effectively eerie chanting chorus. But overall this picture is far too clunky and poky to make much of an impression. An instantly forgettable wash-out.
Review of Devil's Harvest
