We had a massive amount of great feedback with our last under the sea
Face-Off. It seemed like Leviathan had a special place in most horror movie watchers’ hearts as the vast majority agreed that it was the superior film over Deep Star Six.
Today’s Face-Off comes hot off the heels of this past Friday’s release of As Above, So Below, which was directed by John Erick Dowdle. I’m not sure if you’re aware, but Mr. Dowdle has become quite the horror movie filmmaker. He happened to direct two other fairly well-received scary flicks in the past and now seems like the perfect time for them to battle it out! So look right below and prepare for QUARANTINE vs. DEVIL!
A virus has broken out that turns people into ravenous zombie-like beings. They are fast, strong, and deadly. And if you get bit by one, you obviously will become one of the infected. However, like most zombies, they can be killed. So, if you’re tough or lucky enough, you could end up surviving.
Um, it’s the Devil, motherf*cker. He’s all-powerful, can use magic and can not be killed. You’re pretty much screwed.
The “found footage” aspect of QUARANTINE really plays to the flick’s advantage in the scare department. It does seem very real when the “infected” begin jumping out and attacking. Just knowing that these people are trapped in such a tight, darkened place with blood thirsty creatures makes for one intensely unsettling experience.
Despite the cramped quarters, DEVIL does offer up some nice jump scares. The filmmakers really used the device of the lights going out to their advantage. The music also adds a nicely chilling effect when the Devil gets down to business. For a PG-13 movie, I was surprised how something as simple as falling debris could create such a good scare.
Jennifer Carpenter absolutely owns in this movie. She’s an ideal horror heroine to root for, showcasing fear and strength both admirably. Johnathon Schaech and Jay Hernandez are also in fine form as the a pair of firefighters being accompanied by Ms. Carpenter and her cameraman. The remainder of the cast all perfectly convey the insanity that would come with such a crisis.
As the five people stuck in the elevator, Geoffrey Arend, Bojana Novakovic, Bokeem Woodbine, Jenny O’Hara, and Logan Marshall-Green all do an excellent job of fleshing out their characters in such a short amount of time and space. Since this is kind of a low budget movie, the performances needed to ring true and Devil excels in that department.
Everyone is trapped in a pretty large apartment complex with the outbreak. This definitely sucks, but it is not hopeless. The complex offers a vast majority of rooms where one could find a place to hide. The opportunity to finds weapons to fight back are also in your favor.
There’s nothing worse than being trapped in an elevator (unless you’re trapped in one with the Devil). The tight quarters leaves absolutely no place to run or hide. You are out in the open the entire time and easily susceptible to any foe attempting to kill you.
Ms. Carpenter and her cameraman are forced upstairs to the building’s creepy attic apartment and discover its resident belongs to some crazy doomsday cult and released the infectious virus inside the building. Things get bad when the cameraman gets attacked, causing the light on the camera to break. They now have to switch to night vision, which doesn’t give them much of an advantage. Carpenter is attacked and dragged away form the camera into the darkness, which was stupidly given away in the trailer and the flick’s f*cking poster!
As almost everyone in the elevator is killed off, the Devil finally reveals himself to be the old woman, who was initially one of the first dead, but was only faking! As the last one left, Logan Marshall-Green confesses the large sin he committed five years ago, which renders the Devil’s powers useless. Turns out, his sin was against the main cop working on the elevator problem. The cop drives him home, but instead of enacting the revenge he had been dreaming of, he forgives the guy. Subtle twist there.
Oh man! I’m sure many may be a bit miffed that this damn Dowdle thing ended in a tie. I just can’t help calling ’em like I see ’em. What can I say? The Devil made me do it! But at least I’ve got you, my faithful AITH-readers who can look to set the record straight on which flick deserves the W. So fire them bullets below! And feel free to send any future Face-Off ideas to me at
[email protected].