Review: We Summon the Darkness

Posted on April 7, 2020 by Ben Schatzel in Horror News // 0 Comments

Throughout the 80’s and 90’s, a number of evangelical institutions began claiming that heavy metal music, horror movies, Dungeons & Dragons and other niche avenues of culture were to blame for the rise in a series of Satanic ritual abuse incidents across the country. The hysteria surrounding these claims was labelled “The Satanic Panic” and, even though these claims were almost entirely unsubstantiated, they helped serve as a major catalyst for recruitment and indoctrination for evangelical groups. This is the backdrop of the latest film from Saban Capital Group and director Marc Meyers (My Friend Dahmer, How He Fell in Love).

The film follows Alex (Alexandra Daddario) and her two friends Val (Maddie Hasson) and Beverly (Amy Forsyth). The year is 1988 and the girls are traveling across Indiana to see a show from the heavy metal band Soldiers of Satan. Along the way, Alex and company turn on the radio to hear of a string of murders nearby being attributed to a local Satanic cult but, armed with the invincibility of youth, the trio make a joint decision to ignore the warnings. Moments later, Alex nearly wrecks the car after being cutoff by another vehicle and having a milkshake thrown into her windshield. After arriving at the Soldiers of Satan show, the girls happen upon the milkshake criminals – a trio of 20-somethings men strapped to the teeth with booze, drugs, and sexual desire. After a beautiful heavy metal montage of cheap beer and denim jackets, Alex, Val, and Beverly join forces with Ivan (Austin Swift), Kovacs (Logan Miller) and Mark (Keean Johnson) to go to Alex’s dad’s house to sleep off a night of drunken partying.

The first act of the story does a nice job of introducing us to each of the characters and setting up a series of expectations that will all be resolved, or at the very least paid off, as the story progresses through the final two acts. The story takes a massive turn when the group begins playing a game of “Never Have I Ever” around a campfire, launching the characters and story into its own microcosm of the “Satanic Panic” as we see each character fight for their own lives. The action and suspense that ensues feels like a passionate love letter to the slasher films of the 80’s and will be a treat for anyone looking for a modern twist on the genre.

Nearly every individual element of the movie is executed to an above-average caliber. One of the most refreshing aspects is the dialogue and writing as a whole. All of the main characters are in their mid-to-late twenties and this certainly feels believable. There is no stiff dialogue, outdated references, or uncharacteristic senses of humor. The characters all feel grounded and believable which becomes important as the stakes begin to raise. Additionally, the action sequences are well-paced and realistic to the given circumstances. There are bouts of extreme violence, but these instances never feel campy or gratuitous which is a kudos to writing, directing, acting, and the whole effects crew.

Similarly, the directing throughout the entire film is nothing short of superb. There are a number of large twists and Meyers does a brilliant job of breadcrumbing the viewer away from anticipating these twists. A lot of this is done in very subtle character interactions or through the use of subverting genre cliché. I’m not overly familiar with Meyers filmography, but I have seen My Friend Dahmer, a film that is heavily reliant on nuanced character interactions and suspension of belief to help tell the childhood story of Jeffrey Dahmer. For this reason, Meyers is a fantastic choice to direct this film and his skills get many chances to shine.

As I mentioned, all of the elements of the film are incredibly well done, but a few that truly shine are the score from Tim Williams, the strong use of practical effects, and great acting performances from Daddario, Hasson, and Johnny Knoxville. Yes, that Johnny Knoxville. A movie about lusty metalheads fighting off Satanists with a cameo from Johnny Knoxville as an evangelical pastor – what more could you want? This is a film that will appeal to horror fans both new and old. It is a send-up of the much-loved slasher genre, but with a modern twist that helps re-contextualize the Satanic Panic. It has some strong overtones of social commentary but it can easily be viewed as a fun-loving bloodbath, and while it does touch on some controversial topics surrounding religion, it does so in a tasteful manner.