The Devil to Pay (Horror Movie Review)

PLOT: A mother and her young child are caught in the middle as a war starts brewing between two families in the Appalachian mountains.

REVIEW: Many viewers may be drawn to the revenge thriller THE DEVIL TO PAY (watch it HERE) due to the fact that it was written and directed by Lane and Ruckus Skye, who were two of the three screenwriters on the recent instant cult classic BECKY, but when they do watch this film they'll find that it is quite different from BECKY. The two films have some similar elements, but while watching THE DEVIL TO PAY I got the feeling it's something that's aching to be included in the legendary Joe Bob Briggs' "How Rednecks Saved Hollywood" presentation. This would feel right at home playing drive-ins alongside films like DELIVERANCE, GATOR BAIT, SOUTHERN COMFORT, etc.

The action takes place deep in the Appalachian mountains, where we're introduced to a couple families, the Runions and the Knoxes, that have been calling this area home since their ancestors sought refuge there in the 1700s. We're told that these people are self-sufficent and self-governing, and don't want anything to do with the outside world. They follow their own rules, have their own code of honor: their creed. The Runions and the Knoxes have a troubled history with each other, but in recent years have had a truce in place. Now, due to a rather ridiculous perceived transgression, that truce is in danger of crumbling, and local woman Lemon Cassidy (Danielle Deadwyler) is caught in the middle of the whole mess.

Deadwyler turns in a great performance, although you may need to switch on the subtitles to understand every line she delivers. Lemon has quite a thick accent, and when you couple that with the vernacular the characters use, it can sometimes be a little tough to keep up with everything she's saying. Despite occasionally having to wonder "What did she say?" I was very impressed by Deadwyler's dramatic skills, and she made it easy to side with Lemon as she navigates her way through some heartwrenching, strange, and violent situations. She's in over her head, but the character has a strength and a cleverness that makes her a captivating heroine.

With members of the Runion family threatening the life of her young son Coy (Ezra Haslam), Lemon is forced to complete tasks for the Runions that her missing husband was supposed to be handling. Not only does this put her in danger of being killed by people from either family, it also inadvertently brings her into contact with a strange commune populated by "city folk" who follow the word of a fellow called The Fire Keeper and hold the belief that men can gain spiritual wisdom through a ritual involving "vitriol" (sulfuric acid). The visit to the commune is bizarre, but there's a good payoff to having this group of weirdos on the mountain.

Eventually Lemon has to stop following orders and start trying to take control of the situation out of the hands of the Runions, and her attempt to do this results in some acts of violence that are sometimes shocking, sometimes satisfying.

Deadwyler had a solid supporting cast to share her scenes with, including Adam Boyer, composer Brad Carter, Luce Rains, Parisa Johnston, Charles Black, and The Walking Dead's Jayson Warner Smith. A standout is Catherine Dyer as Runion matriarch Tommy. Dyer is able to make her character detestable while speaking in sweet tones and baking a variety of delicious foods.

A good new addition to the redneck thriller sub-genre, THE DEVIL TO PAY is an intriguing, low-key film that makes for an entertaining 87 minutes. In the end it doesn't feel like there was a whole lot to it, but it's interesting enough while it's going on, and the performances are involving enough, that I was glad I sat through it. Danielle Deadwyler makes it worth checking out all on her own, everything else is a bonus.

Uncork'd Entertainment and Dark Star Pictures will be giving THE DEVIL TO PAY  a drive-in release on October 2nd, with a VOD and DVD release to follow on October 6th.