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Overall Rating : 5/10
Directed By : Dan Golden
Jeffrey Combs (Abominable)
James Russo (Open Range)
Angus Scrimm (Phantasm)
Annie Sorell (Santa's Slay)
Eliza Swenson (Dracula's Curse)
Supplied By : Lionsgate Films
Film Reviewed By : Rick L. Blalock
Date Reviewed : May. 2, 2006
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| PLOT Michelle wakes up from a car accident with bandages over her face and no memory of what has happened. When she begins having horrific nightmares, she suspects that she has done something terrible. As people around her begin to get murdered, she must solve the mystery of her past before she's destroyed by satanic forces. |
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| THE REVIEW SATANIC, begins showing a scene of an accident, a fatal car crash involving a Father and his daughter Michelle. It just so happens that Michelle would be the only survivor of the crash - waking up with bandages on her face, young Michelle has haunting nightmares of her father communicating with her as well as other strange "beings". After a successful reconstructive surgery - which her face was rebuilt from next to nothing, she is shown her only belongings that had made it through the horrendous crash, a satanic looking Ouija board and a journal with very distinct symbols. These items some to have sort of revived Michelle's memory somewhat as the hellish nightmares continue this time with remembrances of the night of the crash. Since Michelle has healed nicely in the eyes of the doctors she is sent to Harmony House, a home for troubled teens organized and headed by Bisson and his wife Jackie, which leaves Michelle to question just why do the consider her "troubled". When she arrives at the house she meets a cast of diverse and dysfunctional teens Dutch and the wild child Dalia. All of the teens and even the two caretakers wonder why Michelle was sent to them, but when Michelle confesses the dreams she has to Dalia, Dalia confesses her to use the demon board Michelle kept from the accident in order to make peace with her father. This test proved to be a mistake as not only did Michelle pull Dalia into the dream briefly, but also a cloaked girl in which Michelle believes might be the root of the problems she has. It just so happens that the mysterious girl appears again to kill Dalia, and soon after Michelle believes that she might have killed this mysterious person the night of her crash - or did she, it really keeps you believing so. SATANIC... when you hear the name of the film, you immediately think the film's subject matter is of Satan - watchers will be surprised when they find out that it is more of a psychological thriller. At first appearance, SATANIC's low budget is clearly apparent, as they obviously used only part of a hospital...or for all I know, might've not been a hospital at all, Some of the dialogue that is exchanged in the beginning scenes are generically delivered and also Michelle's bandaged face is liable to rise a few laughs out of even the serious viewer like me. After you get settled in and know just what you are up against - a cheesy low budget movie that is obviously going to borrow elements from the films we know, but is actually clever at times. During the story, we get to meet Michelle and follow as she learns about her self, and we meet the characters just as she does, and as you learn about her past you figure about that the accident has changed her into a completely different person than she was and that she truly regrets it. In between Michelle's crash course to remember just anything, she is accompanied with dreams in which she is actually a part of them, she in them as if they are real and Evil is after her in the dreams, totally reminiscent of NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET and BAD DREAMS. I thought some of the dream sequences were highly effective and some happened to be a little over the top but in any case the hood covered girl from the past was really cool looking in my opinion. I normally do not do this but I will sort of spoil the movie her, as it is simply the only way to explain the film. It later is revealed that the Michelle we are watching throughout the film is actually named Kayla and is the mysterious girl in the dreams - She happened to be picked up by the real michelle and her father while hitch-hiking on a rainy night. Michelle ends up ultimately killing Kayla but prior to that had make a deal with the devil to trade Kayla's soul to him the night they picked her up, for the real Michelle's immortality. It was the real Michelle whom killed her father and cased the crash, and the reason they think Kayla is Michelle is because the reconstructive surgery was based on pictures of Michelle who they thought to have been treating but didn't know because of the extensive facial damage. It is quite confusing, some occurrences do not match up and I am still confused, but this film was a lot of fun in my opinion and must've took quite some time to write all of SATANIC's twists. The finally twist vividly reminds me of the face switch in 1981's HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME. The acting is mixed, The beautiful Annie Sorell plays the "nice" Michelle often convincingly and and I can't say I wasn't impressed. She is also joined by her twin sister, Alicia Lorén, I did not know they were actually twins until I looked it up and this was a very good decision on the part of the filmmakers to include the both of them. This in turn saved them a lot of money they would've needed for excess camera tricks etc, Eliza Swenson plays, Dalia, a teen that is seemingly trying to stay obedient but you can often since that she wants to be bad all the time. The also talented Swenson offers up one of the more interesting characters in the story....but that character is also among the first to meet their deaths. Also providing the funny "stoner moment" Rick Dean, while oddly enough watching Lionsgate owned Artisan's CUTTHROAT ALLEY. On a side note - fans of the great Jeffrey Combs and Angus Scrimm shall be sorely disappointed - although they are top billed here, their total screen time is probably 15 minutes combined. SATANIC is a NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET inspired thriller that ofters up something to think about, but often it is too much overall, too much intelligence ultimately turns into too much confusion. |
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| GORE
METER 4/10 The gore is surprisingly low, instead of gore SATANIC turns to psychology. |
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| MUSICAL
SCORE 2/10 I honestly don't remember much of a score or soundtrack present, but the title theme was ok. |
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| OVERALL
IMPRESSION OF THE FILM Entertaining in some areas(more so the dream sequences) I am sure the budget as well as the confusing plot would turn many viewers off. But for what SATANIC is, it was enjoyable even if it confused me as well in the end. |
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