THE DEVIL’S DUE

US, 2014, 89 minutes, Colour.
Allison Miller, Zach Gilford, Sam Anderson, Roger Payano.
Directed by Matt Bettinelli- Olpin, Tyler Gillett.

The Devil’ Due is a variation on the Rosemary’s Baby theme, the mysterious impregnation of the young woman, her carrying a diabolical child, the melodrama and blood of its birth.

The visual style is that of the Blair Which Project and the Paranormal Activity thrillers, a great deal of hand-held camera and contrivances to have other sequences filmed, putting the camera fixed, CCTV coverage…

Allison Miller and Zach Gilford are enthusiastic as the couple, Allison Miller suffering more and more as the film goes on, not really conscious of what has happened to her. Ultimately, the sinister doctor assists in the birth, the child is taken, the husband is left with his bleeding wife and interrogated as a suspect in her murder.

A slight treatment of the theme – with some religiosity brought in with a priest, seemingly Catholic, but no stations of the cross in the church, affected by the demon child, unable to speak and bleeding at first Communion ceremony, and collapsing, visited by the husband in hospital to interrogate him about strange signs associated with his wife – and the priest, rather unrealistically, giving information about the signs in the early church and then demanding that the husband leave.

1. How successful a film? The mysterious pregnancy? The consequences during the pregnancy, the effect on others, the effect on Sam? Zach?

2. The American scenes, the wedding, home, hospital, ultrasound? Family gatherings? Audiences identifying with the couple and their situation?

3. The opening, Zach’s interrogation, accused of killing his wife?

4. Santo Domingo, the beaches, the nightlife, the driver, the mysterious club? Musical score?

5. The camera styles, hand-held? The contrast with the fixed camera? The tradition of the Blair Witch Project? Paranormal Activity?

6. The parallels with Rosemary’s Baby?

7. Zach, his camera, continued photography, love for his wife, the wedding, speeches, the dance? The honeymoon, the shared enjoyment? The decision to go to the club? Returning home? His response to the pregnancy? The ultrasound, the kind doctor, filming?

8. Santo Domingo, the taxi driver, the club, the darkness, the drinking, Sam not aware of the experience, her being on the pill, her pregnancy?

9. The joy of the family at the pregnancy? The mysterious reactions, at the birthing class, the effect on the mothers? The effect on Sam? Moody? Eating? Going to the river – the later episode with the deer, the blood on her mouth? The buildup to the date of the birth?

10. The church, the priest, his advice, the first Communion, the children, his mouth and the bleeding? His later collapse? Hospital? Being asked about the mysterious signs, his knowledge of the early Church? His wanting a Zach to leave?

11. The original sympathetic doctor, new doctor, the absence of the previous doctor, his being sinister?

12. Susan, come to help, Sam and the violence, her death? Zach and his return? The violence, the blood? The birth of the child, being taken away?

13. Zach, interrogation, his seeming guilt? His future?

14. Paris and a new couple being groomed by the taxi driver…