Here Comes the Devil

Raindance's opening night is always special. 

Guests of note turn up, the premiere is usually a swish event with goodie bags laid on the red velvety chairs (that aptly tonight matched the colour of the devil) and everyone's dressed up in the latest fashion - you know, REAL fashion that real normal people wear compared to the kind that elite designers showcase at shows and glitzy events that no one would ever really practically be able to wear; and of course Raindance founder Elliot Grove gets up in front of an audience and proudly introduces the festival. His lovely wife Suzanne is in the audience and has already said hello to guests as they arrived and the energy is full of enthusiasm for what's to come. 

This year a comedy group, The Real MacGuffins entertain the seated audience before the feature by doing a fantastic skit on Hitchcock's films and another which bizarrely (but hilariously) takes us back to old London with Jack the Rapper doing a graphically violent rendition of "Slice Slice Baby" to the tune and flow of Vanilla Ice. It seriously has to be seen to be believed and even then you'll gape jaw-to-the-ground at how a rap of dismemberment can be so carefully constructed while retaining so much of the original song's lyrics. 

Here Comes the Devil is Adrian Garcia Bogliano's horror feature and has just won rave reviews and accolades at Fantastic Fest, TIFF and beyond. Many in the audience were feeding off the internet buzz surrounding the film and were looking forward to it.

The film itself is a classic horror that moves the genre firmly away from the slasher flick oeuvre made so popular in the 80s and the excessively violent trend that emerged in the 90s, returning to the roots of suspense which play on family dynamics.

The set up is clear when the film opens with a lesbian scene, then a discussion between parents about being caught having sex by their children, followed by a sexual encounter while their children (a boy and girl) disappear and their teenage daughter's first period. Every scene screams transgression but not in the obvious stereotypical 'Cabin in the Woods' way. Guilt follows every transgression including all the above incidents by participants and horror fans know to take this as an omen that death is coming. The Big Bad knocking on the door this time arrives in a seemingly sinister series of events where we are trying to piece together what happened to the children when they disappeared, while their parents were making love.

Child molestation is explored, brutal revenge a la Last House on the Left is executed but where another horror movie would end this one delves deeper and probes the unanswered question of the effect of the incident on the two children. Strange behaviour and stranger earthquakes with strobe-light effects complete an all out eerie experience which ups the suspense and begins to unravel what happens when characters undergo mental blackouts. A scene with a babysitter is particularly disturbing, powerfully using the tool of suggestion to support the on-screen narration of what she experiences.

The world the characters occupy is rooted in ours but also one where limits are breached, remorse is seen as a weakened response and violence clings on to every look and action even if it's following a scene showing love between two people (two women, a married couple and a sibling bond respectively). The notion that this world is one where transgression has already occurred opening the door for evil to also reign and push things further creating disturbing imagery and situations is one that's treated with credibility, told through a suspense-laden series of plot expositions and brings a new meaning to the word "horror" in this genre.

'Here Comes the Devil' makes for uneasy viewing that is not dabbed with a fresh coat of red paint every few minutes but fuels a quiet nervousness within the viewer leading up to the film's shocking climax which brings the game of death full circle.

The audience was grimacing one moment and peeking through their fingers the next, creating an experience that has not been achieved by any horror movie of recent times. Bogliano's bold credits and loud finale ensured the film ended (and Raindance started) with a real bang that echoed well into the night which continued at Cafe De Paris.

Raindance picked this film before any of the praise it has received in recent days adding to their testament of true indie programming that discovers the next big thing before you've even heard of it. Tonight was a celebration of twenty years (and counting) of the hippest, indie-est and most culturally relevant film festival in London that truly celebrates world cinema and sets the bar higher for the next generation of independent filmmakers.

Long may it rain, and here's to the continued dance to get more films made, seen and noticed.

'Here Comes the Devil' will be released by Metrodome in the future.