Unleashing the Demons

Image credit: Amazon

Having a love of something and then finding people who share that love with you is -in my opinion- the best thing about being human. We find that special something, we become enamoured, obsessed, and then dissect it to understand why we love it. Then we share those findings with people we come into contact with due to their love of that special something. It’s a deepening and ever-replenishing wellspring of fascination, connection, and excitement. And what’s even more wonderful, is that that love inspires us to create our own and share. It’s delightfully contagious.

In case it’s not apparent yet, I have a love of movies. The majority of my adult life has been encompassed by them: first job being at Blockbuster (let that nostalgia wash over you), then a media advisor at Australia’s largest home-entertainment retailer, and now a client services coordinator in film distribution. While my love inspires me to dissect and talk about movies ad nauseum, through my jobs I have met inspiring and passionate individuals whose love of movies has inspired them to create their own. Below is an example of what happens when a creative and a dismantling love meets.

Years after a terrible incident that involved the death of four of his friends, Derek (Keiron McDonald) has been discharged from hospital and has moved in with his cousin April (Violet Shaw). But Derek is convinced that the nightmare isn’t over. Plagued by gruesome visions and hours he can’t account for, Derek tries to convince April that he is still possessed by a demon. And when April begins to have visions of her own, she can’t help but start to believe him.

Unleashing the Demons is a cinephile’s passion project in the sweetest sense. It’s a tiny production built on the talents at hand that explores the modern intricacies of one of the most widely parodied and dissected genres around: horror. The narrative is simple with all contextual history told through blunt and simple exposition and made more intriguing with the use of quick and cutting camera shots that indicate the presence of ‘visions’. This aspect of the movie gives it a sinister edge while at the same time forcing the audience to do the mental work a la Hitchcock. It’s a fresh and modern balance of show and tell that works well to keep the brain cogs turning throughout the film.

Image credit: IMDb

While being a small-scale horror movie by itself, the film is also an homage to the genre. This is how you can tell that it was made by cinephiles: it’s packed to the rafters with subtle references and tributes to a whole range of horror subgenres including religion-horror, meta-horror, and amateur-horror. The blend of the modern setting and the archaic horror work to heighten the seriousness of the narrative by powdering it with comedy, which then primes the audience for the ethical whiplash of the climactic third act. Think This is the End, Nightmare on Elm Street, and Scream, there are vibes of all these in there.

Admittedly, my response to this film is arguably coloured by the fact that I know the character of the creator, but honestly I really enjoyed watching this movie and because of its simplicity I was made aware of all the work that went in: the music, the makeup effects, the acting, the ‘set design’ – which includes a most immaculate Blu-ray collection FYI - with both cast and crew being one and the same creative entity. If anything, watching films like this can remind us that we can get blinded by the money, lights, and shiny of mainstream cinema and that everything grand comes from humble beginnings (that are honestly, more satisfying to talk about).

Unleashing the Demons is a film made by cinephiles for cinephiles.

Director: Callum Knox, 2020

Cast: Keiron McDonald, Violet Shaw, Hayden Geens, Laura Fraser, Eddy Price, Adele Samus, Callum Knox, Robyn Shaw & Eleanore Knox