Demigod
Spooky forests, synth scores, occult narratives. “Demigod” is very much up my alley. From the first moments, where three witches perform a sacrifice in a dark ritual, I was into what director Miles Doleac was doing as a filmmaker. There are times where exposition feels drawn out, but for the most part, “Demigod” stays focused on telling a brutal, nasty story, and it works at accomplishing that.
After the introduction, Robin (Rachel Nichols) and her husband Leo (Yohance Myles) are driving in the Black Forest in Germany, and their GPS seems to be on the fritz. But, they get to where they are heading- Robin’s grandfather’s house, deep in the woods. He has passed away, and everything was left for Robin. She has strange memories of her time visiting her grandfather, which a skinned animal carcass bring back. They meet a local hunter (Arthur, played by Doleac himself) and his daughter, Amalia (Rachel Ryals), whom jogs a few more memories out of Robin. That night, the couple are attacked in her grandfather’s home, and the next morning, they are chained up with several other people, including the father and daughter. The rituals are set to begin.
Horror movies set in the woods are a particular favorite of mine, but when I say that, I’m not referring to slasher silliness like “Friday the 13th,” but movies like “The Witch” and “The Ritual,” for which the forest and trees almost feel like a supporting character in the movie. That is the subgenre of horror “Demigod” belongs in, and a big part of how those movies succeed in using the woods in this fashion is the cinematography. Doleac and his cinematographer, Nathan Tate, use a lot of natural lighting and far away shots to help create a sense of the forest as menacing, and engulfing the characters in this environment. Even without that introduction, the setup of Robin and Leo driving into the Black Forest is enough to make us feel as though something otherworldly is going to happen to this couple. And many things happen to them throughout the movie.
At about the halfway point, where we see them chained up, it almost feels as though another movie entirely, but the story commences. After a stretch of exposition and revelations, the film becomes a mix of slasher/chase film as well as supernatural/occult movie, and I definitely prefer the latter to the former, although the former certainly has plot importance. The beginning and the end of this film is where it has its strongest impact, and gives Nichols a part to play beyond just “horrified woman.” The makeup and costumes are strong, and keeping the creature largely in the shadows is an effective choice; it makes it feel more ominous. As with the cinematography, the music by Clifton Hyde hits all of the right notes in terms of how it should feel, and I was very much sucked into the film and its climactic moments. “Demigod” has some wicked, fun stuff going on.
