Truth About Demons

source: Truth About Demons

Moviecut—Truth About Demons

Upon finding himself under attack by a strange demonic cult, an anthropology professor tries to come to terms with his attitude when dealing with such groups in the past as he struggles to fight off the group's demonic ambushes. Pretty enjoyable effort at times, though this is still pretty flawed. The best parts here are clearly the attempts at reality-altering that occur throughout the film, consisting of numerous visions that seem to occur at random times throughout the story, which range from bloody mutilations to demonic hallucinations and the appearance of real demons that really make this pretty freaky at times since there's a great tendency to use it for both reality and the hallucinations, making it unclear what's really happening. The use of black magic in the finale is pretty fun, and the deaths are plenty gory enough, though this one's problems do rear up. The villain here is a total joke and inspires nothing to fear, the followers are even worse as they look just like punks on adrenaline, and the continued implications that tell us otherwise are tiresome after a while. Plus, there's also the mistake of not doing any explaining of what's going on, leaving this slightly confusing as to what's the point. Though it's still watchable, these were enough to knock it down a little. Rated R: Graphic Language, Graphic Violence, Brief Nudity and a sex scene.

Available at Blockbuster as "The Truth About Demons" (guess Joe Consumer can't handle words like "Irrefutable"), this New Zealand-lensed horror pic is quite an unheralded gem. Sometimes succumbs to cliches (how many times can someone sneak up on the hero?!), but contains its fair share of shocking, disturbing images and gruesome moments in a tricky, intelligently plotted script leading up to a good final shock at the end. Writer/director Glenn Standring is a talent to watch...

Kind of a cross between Constantine/Hellblazer and Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere. A decent take on the urban mysticism sub-genre of horror. The acting is all pretty decent, especially for low budget, with the notable exception of the actor who plays his friend with way too much b-movie gusto. The film definitely has an urban New Zealand vibe, and while not as over-the-top as the works of Peter Jackson, it certainly has a quirkiness that wouldn't be seen in a major studio release. I also appreciate that the film isn't dumbed down for mass consumption. There's a couple of cases of the main character vocalizing an idea the viewer should have just realized, but these aren't terribly forced nor obnoxious. Urban's portrayal of a man forced to accept or deny a reality he doesn't believe in makes it work. Overall, the movie suffers from too much drag as they try to spook us, but there are a few interesting twists and turns here and there. Worth a look, especially for fans of Karl Urban, who really lets his accent show.

I really like this movie. It takes you out of your comfort zone and makes you re-think your attitude to demons. The movie itself is low-key and does not rely heavily on special effects, but rather on the storyline and the acting. The main characters being very convincing with a few twists and turns that may surprise you. Karl Urban has continued to make a number of good films and I would include this one as a must see for Urban fans If I have one misgiving with this movie it is that it is assumed that those involved in cults would dress in punk outfits and stand out in the way that they do. So that they fall into a stereotype. Pity! Nevertheless this is worth watching for the acting and the premise that certainly got me wondering about the Truth about Demons. Cheers Furdion

I'm generally not a fan of newer movies, especially newer B horror movies, but this film was actually decent. It isn't particularly scary, but instead manages to tell a story that keeps you engaged throughout the duration, utilizing the "is it real?/is it a dream?/is he insane?" style of story line found in the likes of "Videodrome", forcing you to wonder what you are really watching. The acting is up to par and the writing is above average. This is the way you are supposed to make a B horror flick and it is a shame more people can't be bothered to put some effort into the actual script writing, relying instead on gore and other boring schlock that fails to shock at this point. Love the ending.

I was poised to abandon watching after the first few minutes which weren't promising, but it slotted into an interesting rhythm and was worth the watch. It was more psychological horror than scare and it's a pity it didn't spend a little more time on the latter as what's there is pretty good. Very clever overall given the limitations.

I watched about 20-30 minutes and to call this one horror, i would not approve... I felt nothing, nothing at all!! All that happens can be predicted, and with good accuracy too!

I saw this back in the day at it's original screening @ the Milan Film Festival. I remember having the feeling of 'I don't know why I like this movie so much, but I do'. 20 years later, and I still feel this way. Maybe it is 'because' of the opening goofiness of the characters in the opening scenes, maybe because the movie did have a nice amount of Gore and cool Special make-up FX, or maybe just because it is a kind a quirky/strange film that uses just a few digital FX ( i.e. super wide shot of a demon climbing up the exterior of a building) and is used just slightly, and only to support the 'in camera practical special FX. Plus it just has a nice playful tone that shifts into a more dark, and disturbing feel quite seamlessly and effectively while all the while maintaining it's quirky charm. I still like this movie a lot, and I think it has aged well for 20 years.