Every year the director of Pigeon Shrine FrightFest collects together a wide range of new genre movies. These films champion the best voices working within independent horror and science-fiction, Amongst them are a plethora of brand new talent, the festival supporting first-time filmmakers. It is this ethos that makes FrightFest such a beloved event and has helped sustain it to the age of 25. Writing and directing duo, Matt Devino and David Michael Yohe, were part of this year’s bumper crop of new talent as they debuted their first film, The Daemon, to the FrightFest fans.
Haunted by his father’s suicide, Tom (Tyler Q. Rosen) abandons his wife Kathy (Sara Fletcher) and seeks refuge at the lakeside cottage where the tragic event happened. There, tormented memories from childhood resurface, all intricately connected to an ancient mystifying force lurking beneath the lake’s depths, driving Tom inexorably towards madness. As Tom’s communication dwindles into eerie silence, Kathy enlists the help of her brother Mark (Oscar Wilson) and sister-in-law Jess (Adriana Isabel), a trauma and grief counsellor. Unaware of the sinister malevolence seeping from the lake, Tom becomes a willing vessel for the same evil that claimed his parents and now threatens all who dare draw near.
The Daemon had its world premiere at FrightFest and won the crowd over with its Lovecraftian trappings. The debut was extra special for co-director David Michael Yohe, as the premiere happened to fall on his birthday. Thankfully he got the gift that he wanted – a well received response to his debut – and was in high spirits when he attended the media wall alongside his co-director Matt Devino and cast members Tyler Q. Rosen and Sara Fletcher. THN spoke to the team about the prevailing power of H. P. Lovecraft, haunted houses, and gooey practical effects.
The Daemon screened at Pigeon Shrine FrightFest.
