DEMONIC

US, 2015, 83 minutes, Colour.
Maria Bello, Frank Grillo, Cody Horn, Dustin Milliken, Megan Park, Scott Mechlowicz, Aaron Yoo, Alex Goode.
Directed by Will Cannon.

Demonic is a brief horror film co-produced and presented by director James Wan (Saw, the Insidious films The Conjuring films).

The main focus of the film is on a night in a house abandoned after a massacre in 1988, with a reputation of sinister presence, with a group of young people going to investigate, hold a seance, bring up the spirits. Three of them are killed and the police arrive, the detective in charge played by Frank Grillo and the psychologist played by Maria Bello. A great deal of attention is given to following up clues and drawing on research as well as the interrogation of the main suspect by the psychologist.

The film goes back a week to show how the young group gathered together to go to the house, a young man making documentaries with his cameraman and an expert in rituals joining friends, including the young man whose mother escaped from the 1988 massacre. The documentary maker is egotistical and is suspected of being behind the plan – but there is a final revelation.

Touches of horror, scares, the rituals – and the incorporation of some of the video material in the found footage genre.

1. A brief thriller with demonic overtones, satanic rituals, mass murders? Combined with found footage? Police investigation? Detection and psychological interviews?

2. The background of 1988, the woman accused of the mass murders, the victims, the woman who escaped, the newspaper and media headlines? The house abandoned?

3. The focus on the house, the neighbour investigating noises, finding the dead bodies? The police on the spot, detection, the squad, clues, research, resources? The psychologist?

4. One week earlier, John, his relationship with Michelle, later discovery that she was pregnant? The plan to go to the house? Sam, his enthusiasm? The dislike of Brian? Egotistic? Joined by Jules and her background in these investigations? Donnie as cameraman?

5. Detective Lewis, being called, finding the bodies, finding John, his fright, falling down the stairs, not remembering anything, Lewis ringing Dr Klein, standing her up, her coming for the interviews?

6. The detective, gathering the information, the information about 1988, DNA, blood types? Interactions with John, aggressive? With Dr Klein?

7. Dr Klein, her skills, trying to get information, sympathy for John, her threatening him with life imprisonment? His attack on her?

8. The flashbacks to the group going into the house, sounds, the portraits, different rooms, the ballerina, pointing to the rug, finding the circle? Apprehensive, doors shutting?
The setting up of the cameras, recording the scenes (and the technicians able to download some of the scenes)? The decision to have the seance after Jules was attacked? The effect, the killings, axes? Michelle’s disappearance? Their finding her in the cupboard?

9. Brian, seemingly possessed, the car, his going to the store, protecting the storekeeper? The phone, his bellowing through the phone, the effect on John, his having a seizure? The decision to shoot Brian?

10. Finding Michelle? The revelation that John was behind everything? His mother being the escapee from the house? The effect on him over the years, his keeping it a secret? Brian finding out? Michelle surviving, breaking the spell? The final image and the suggestion of satanic possession of her baby?

11. The theory of the group having to die so that the spirit could become incarnate? The effect on John’s mother? The effect on John, his wanting to kill the group to free his mother?

12. The combination of traditional filming but incorporating scenes of found footage?