Director: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett.
Starring: Allison Miller, Zach Gilford, Sam Anderson, Vanessa Ray.
Certificate: 15
Running Time: 89 minutes
Synopsis: After a mysterious lost night on their honeymoon, a newlywed couple finds themselves dealing with an earlier than planned pregnancy. While recording everything for posterity, the husband begins to notice odd behavior in his wife that they initially write off to nerves, but, as the months pass, it becomes evident that the dark changes to her body and mind have a much more sinister origin.
Cinema (and certainly the horror genre) has become over-saturated with the cheaper filmmaking process known as ‘found-footage. It’s a struggle to see how the increasingly convenient camerawork that continues to capture poorly concocted scenes and set-pieces can still be taken seriously. Scenes that frame a conversation that moves the plot forward with an eye-rolling revelation are the most bothersome, especially when wondering, “Why would you be recording this?” Then there is the irritating money shots while characters fight for their lives. Of course we need to see it, but again, in the back of your mind you’re always thinking, “Surely it’d be easier to survive or escape if they’d only fling the bloody camera.” The latter was always the main problem with something like CLOVERFIELD and the increasingly laughable PARANORMAL ACTIVITY franchise.
DEVIL’S DUE – which comes from Radio Silence sensation Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, two of the four currently best-known for their work in horror anthology V/H/S – at least offers an explanation of why the camera continues to roll. Newlywed couple Zach (Zach Gilford) and Samantha (Allison Miller) are wanting to document the nine-month pregnancy and birth of their first child. As is obvious from the pretty strong promotional campaign hinting at a little ROSEMARY’S BABY inspiration, said child may well be a little Devil well before the terrible twos hit.
Unfortunately, DEVIL’S DUE is no ROSEMARY’S BABY. While its first half promises to take an alternative route to what we’ve become accustomed to in this sub-genre while sticking to the rule of an excited, expectant couple wanting treasured memories, it’s not long before those aforementioned questions begin to rear their ugly head. It descends into a muddled supernatural mess by throwing in CCTV from supermarkets, car parks, strangers’ camcorders, police interviews, and most bizarrely the mysterious cult keeping tabs on the couple to assure another little Satan is delivered safely. Conducive in its linear approach to a narrative we can simply understand, it fails in its delivery significantly. Leaving you to pose another question. “Whose supposed to be putting all this crap together?”
The two leads give strong, committed performances, Miller in particular. They are the film’s only saving grace, but, when the script progresses from their obvious love of one another to wanting to secure jump-scares alongside special effects, DEVIL’S DUE loses that impressive emotional impact initially built up early on. None more so than, when at a family gathering, the camera is unbelievably given to children running around the house playing hide and seek. From then on, it no longer feels interested in building up to a terrifying tale. This is, or rather supposedly is, a horror film. It becomes increasingly obvious it’s more concerned in impressing with stunt work or set-pieces, with the pyrotechnic-filled conclusion sign posted well in advance. We’re then treated to an unnecessary post-credit sequence offering something glaringly obvious, just to helpfully remind us of the opening Bible quote title card.
DEVIL’S DUE, like most found-footage entries, falls flat in its cringeworthy execution and refuses to stand-out from the crowd. The only thing it does deliver, aside from disappointment, is predictability.
[usr=1] DEVIL’S DUE is released in UK cinemas today.
