It has been compared to The Conjuring.
2017 was a memorable year for the horror genre with Get Out, It and Mother! all scoring big at the box-office. With films like The Nun, The Predator, The Strangers: Prey at Night and Halloween coming out-
you can check out our horror 2018 horror preview here - there's plenty of terrifying treats for film fans at the cinema.
This being said, some films have the habit of
creeping under the radar and that's certainly the case for Sean Byrne's second directorial feature, The Devil's Candy.
As they do every year,
Rotten Tomatoes awarded those films that made their best of lists and this "blistering, intimate, heavy metal-tinged horror" made their top five alongside Get Out, It, It Comes at Night and Prevenge.
Ok, what's it about? An artist and his family think they've moved into the house of their dreams, but when he is possessed by a mysterious dark force the family must fight to save their souls. If you love slow building horrors like Rosemary's Baby, The House of the Devil and The Invitation, you might like this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpRnCZQWqDU
In their review of the film.
The Guardian likened Byrne's visual style and knowledge of the genre to the work that James Wan did on The Conjuring. "Like James Wan’s similarly engaging The Conjuring, this is a film that plays with the formalism of classic 1970s and 1980s horror," they said.
It's clear that The Devil's Candy has become a firm favourite with critics.
LA Times - "What makes The Devil's Candy a standout is how well-developed these characters are. This is ultimately a movie about parenting, and how even "hip" moms and dads fear the choices they make are hurting their young."
Time Out - "Sean Byrne's assured second feature is so in on the satanic joke, it sometimes feels like a comedy. In its final turn, it brings the pain; it's definitely a horror movie but a wonderfully witty one, not for gentle souls."
NY Times - "Mr. Byrne - relying almost entirely on a doom-metal soundtrack, game performers and a grungy palette of oily browns and moldy greens - somehow whips his ingredients into an improbably taut man-versus-Satan showdown."
Collider - "The Devil's Candy is the complete midnight movie package. It's got characters to root for, a clever narrative, and a spot-on mix of scares-those that are brimming with energy and others that'll seep in and mess with your head."
Decider - "It's one of the scariest movies you can stream."
In case you're wondering why you might not have heard about it until now, Byrne's film was originally released all the way back in 2015. It then went on to feature prominently on the festival circuit.
IFC Films decided to give The Devil's Candy a limited theatrical run in the States at the start of 2017 and since then, it has really made an impact with those that have seen it.
If you fancy seeing The Devil's Candy, you can stream it via
Amazon,
Apple, and
VDU.
