Director – Jacob Lees Johnson (Dissolution, Studio C)
Starring – Alexis Zollicoffer (Freaky Tales, Sympathy for the Devil), Noah Kershisnik (Slay Ride: The Movie, Grizzly Night), and Mallory Everton (The Aquabats! RadVentures!, Hidden)
Release Date – 2025
Rating – 2.5/5
I always try to watch as many horror and Halloween centered films as I can during my annual October horror binge. I prefer Halloween-centric kids movies like Double Double Toil and Trouble, The Midnight Hour, R.L. Stine’s Pumpkinhead, and so on. However, I’m always going to be a fan of horror and can’t go an entire month without it.
Back before the month started I was contacted to review the film I See the Demon. The title and poster really stirred my curiosity and I agreed to check it out. In fact, I thought this would be a perfect addition to my October watch list.
**Spoiler Alert** The film follows Lucy (Zollicoffer) who returns home to find several friends, her husband, and her family’s synth servant has planned a birthday party for her. What should have been an unforgettable evening with friends turns sinister when she starts seeing the unexplained. As she tries to figure out what is real and what is in her head, she learns that her life is not as it seems. **Spoiler Alert**
I went into this one expecting a certain kind of film and what I found was a story that I was not expecting along with a cast of characters that I did not like. My excitement for this one quickly dissipated and the film was difficult to finish. I hate writing negative reviews for films sent my way but I have to be honest. I seriously wanted to like this one but it was not for me.
The acting in this one is not bad. I want to clearly state that before I dive into it. The cast does a solid job with the roles they were given. However, the characters are not written that well. The cast doesn’t have a lot to work with and I found myself wishing that if there was demons in the film then they would get ahold of most of these characters. I did enjoy Zollicoffer’s performance once the film picked up and her character is not as insufferable as the others.
The story for this one is a horror heavy sci-fi film centered around a woman who has been drugged and her memories rewritten by her piece of shit husband and the family synth. This could have been a pretty solid sci-fi horror film if it really embodied the synth angle and explained more as to why this was happening. Instead, the film is mostly watching a young woman have a mental breakdown as her pretentious friends talk about their bullshit lives. The dialogue is very forced which makes the film feel longer than it actually is.
Finally, the film has a few moments that utilize lighting and fun camera tricks to make a scene chilling but those looking for a high body count and amazing effects will surely be disappointed. Overall, I See the Demon could have been fun and even memorable if it would have embraced it’s story while giving us some answers to the questions we have. I seriously wanted to like it but it just wasn’t for me. I get where the title comes from but it is very misleading and disappointing especially if you dig religious horror. It’s very middle of the road and I can recommend at least a dozen other films I’ve reviewed this year that are more enjoyable than this one.
