This film is straight up like a bad joke in so many areas that i dont know where to start. Netflix exclusives had a reputation of being cheap and poorly made (for the most part) but i didnt expect to see something so bad in a long time. The fact that this is the only review i made in my life that im right now writing at the same time as i watching the movie just shows how terrible it is. This is an special case and i rather Satan take my soul than watching this again. The fact that this is a Netflix exclusive doesnt make it any less bad and anyone who thinks otherwise should check their reviewers license.
For starters, the story is a mess, the beginning of the movie barely connects with what happens after, although it kind of works for the ambientation, which i admit its the only thing that it does well, unfortunately like most of the plot this real war gets squeezed into nothing. The main issue here is that there is no main plot, there are way too many conflicts presented in a very short amount of time so not only all of those had no relevance but most fall flat and are cringy. The worst offenders are the story of the blacksmith which for being something so "important" has only like 1 minute of screen time. Also, im suppose to feel sorry for him or not? The film shows him as a bad guy but why everyone after the revelation of the two demons treats him well? Maybe he was self defending of the hunters but why he was hiding its bodies? What other people had killed in the past to gain that reputation? We also see how Usue doesnt want to trust on the religion but... why? The characters arent developed in the slightest! You may say that its because he wants to see his mother again in hell, but she didnt know about suicide being a sin until later in the film. An hour and a half wasted into plain characters. The "dad and son" relationship also doesnt work at all, we dont seem interaction between them at all (besides the fact that he saved her life), its all way too squeezed. Its weird saying this but this movie has a very simple story that somehow its poorly written.
The only character that was kind of decently written was Alastor because he is the only consistent of the main cast, having this sense of "build up and climax", first being revealed as part of the government, and then he slowly gets more and more involved in the blacksmith until he gets revealed as another demon. I like it! And i didnt expected him to be another one, plus he had a decent design and is kind of badass i guess... until the end where he unfortunately is treated like another fool. And dont get me wrong, it is not inherently bad to flanderize something "serious" as a demon, Doom does that basically. But in the first half of the film its clearly that they wanted something that could take itself seriously, with some jokes here and there. Is until the first demon is revealed that the humor gets skyrocket and the tone is all over the place. In fact, this was classified as an horror film, but is the least amount of suspense or horror i seen in a movie of this genre since Nightmare On Elm Street 3. Some horror movie directors should learn that when the main cast is more overpowered than the villians, then there is no horror, so in other words there is no film.
It also doesnt make sense from a lore perspective since the blacksmith is not a god, he is just a random guy who has more balls than Doomguy itself! Literally, he has balls that somehow makes demons having to count as an obsession that... they cant avoid? If demons are so weak how is that Heaven has so many problems with them? Unless God is obsessed by jumping on a trampoline.
But we didnt end here, lets talk about the very worst of the movie, and oh boy this makes me prefer to do a human sacrifice instead. The damn demons... Im not an expert of make up, but these are some of the worst designs i seen, like straight up from a 70s movie or before. Even Doctor Who 2005 aliens looked better! And thats saying a lot (even though that series is still great). Ir doesnt help either how annoying is the main demon, i guess we could call him an imp. He is basically the idiot of the village, and i dont care how he lose all of its dignity, he deserves it, lol. Again, we are suppose to feel sorry for him? The movie shows terrible characters but pretends that we emphatize for them, its not the same as understanding someone like Abby from TLOU2 since both points of views can be seen. Here the characters are just bad persons not matter what.
How he was also captured by the blacksmith? How the blacksmith learned what tools could be used to fight against the demons? I could be like this all the day with how many questions, inconsistences or conveniences this movie had. Like when the priest first wants to help Usue, later he wants she to be in hell for freeing the imp and later he cries for his "death".
And for last, this movie has the most.... bland... generic..... and basic representation of hell that i ever seen. I saw kid shows were hell is better presented! The revelation of hell here literally doesnt mean anything! And to put the cherry on the top... when one of the demons said "welcome to hell!", i said... thats it. I cant tolerate it anymore. I have my limits and this movie shows it. They treat me like a fool, they would have their medicine.
I rather being tortured in hell for all eternity than seeing this trash... ever again... And yes, Satan is real, i knew him in a cards game.
For starters, the story is a mess, the beginning of the movie barely connects with what happens after, although it kind of works for the ambientation, which i admit its the only thing that it does well, unfortunately like most of the plot this real war gets squeezed into nothing. The main issue here is that there is no main plot, there are way too many conflicts presented in a very short amount of time so not only all of those had no relevance but most fall flat and are cringy. The worst offenders are the story of the blacksmith which for being something so "important" has only like 1 minute of screen time. Also, im suppose to feel sorry for him or not? The film shows him as a bad guy but why everyone after the revelation of the two demons treats him well? Maybe he was self defending of the hunters but why he was hiding its bodies? What other people had killed in the past to gain that reputation? We also see how Usue doesnt want to trust on the religion but... why? The characters arent developed in the slightest! You may say that its because he wants to see his mother again in hell, but she didnt know about suicide being a sin until later in the film. An hour and a half wasted into plain characters. The "dad and son" relationship also doesnt work at all, we dont seem interaction between them at all (besides the fact that he saved her life), its all way too squeezed. Its weird saying this but this movie has a very simple story that somehow its poorly written.
The only character that was kind of decently written was Alastor because he is the only consistent of the main cast, having this sense of "build up and climax", first being revealed as part of the government, and then he slowly gets more and more involved in the blacksmith until he gets revealed as another demon. I like it! And i didnt expected him to be another one, plus he had a decent design and is kind of badass i guess... until the end where he unfortunately is treated like another fool. And dont get me wrong, it is not inherently bad to flanderize something "serious" as a demon, Doom does that basically. But in the first half of the film its clearly that they wanted something that could take itself seriously, with some jokes here and there. Is until the first demon is revealed that the humor gets skyrocket and the tone is all over the place. In fact, this was classified as an horror film, but is the least amount of suspense or horror i seen in a movie of this genre since Nightmare On Elm Street 3. Some horror movie directors should learn that when the main cast is more overpowered than the villians, then there is no horror, so in other words there is no film.
It also doesnt make sense from a lore perspective since the blacksmith is not a god, he is just a random guy who has more balls than Doomguy itself! Literally, he has balls that somehow makes demons having to count as an obsession that... they cant avoid? If demons are so weak how is that Heaven has so many problems with them? Unless God is obsessed by jumping on a trampoline.
But we didnt end here, lets talk about the very worst of the movie, and oh boy this makes me prefer to do a human sacrifice instead. The damn demons... Im not an expert of make up, but these are some of the worst designs i seen, like straight up from a 70s movie or before. Even Doctor Who 2005 aliens looked better! And thats saying a lot (even though that series is still great). Ir doesnt help either how annoying is the main demon, i guess we could call him an imp. He is basically the idiot of the village, and i dont care how he lose all of its dignity, he deserves it, lol. Again, we are suppose to feel sorry for him? The movie shows terrible characters but pretends that we emphatize for them, its not the same as understanding someone like Abby from TLOU2 since both points of views can be seen. Here the characters are just bad persons not matter what.
How he was also captured by the blacksmith? How the blacksmith learned what tools could be used to fight against the demons? I could be like this all the day with how many questions, inconsistences or conveniences this movie had. Like when the priest first wants to help Usue, later he wants she to be in hell for freeing the imp and later he cries for his "death".
And for last, this movie has the most.... bland... generic..... and basic representation of hell that i ever seen. I saw kid shows were hell is better presented! The revelation of hell here literally doesnt mean anything! And to put the cherry on the top... when one of the demons said "welcome to hell!", i said... thats it. I cant tolerate it anymore. I have my limits and this movie shows it. They treat me like a fool, they would have their medicine.
I rather being tortured in hell for all eternity than seeing this trash... ever again... And yes, Satan is real, i knew him in a cards game.
