A review of Adrian Garcia Bogliano's 2012 film, Here Comes the Devil.

By Cynthia Rzucidlo

The Magnet release film, Here Comes the Devil (2012), was written and directed by Adrian Garcia Bogliano. Here Comes the Devil, originally titled Ahi Va el Diablo, debuted at eleven different film festivals, such as the Monsters of Film Festival in Stockholm and the Toronto International Film Festival, before being released onto DVD in December, 2013. The film’s writer/director, Bogliano, has written and directed several horror films, specifically Spanish films; until being invited to direct his own segment for the American, anthology classic The ABC’s of Death (2012). Bogliano is slowly but surely making a name for himself within the horror genre and Here Comes the Devil is a prime example of that.

Here Comes the Devil is a cohesive story filled with visual chills and thrills. A family trip goes terribly wrong when two children go missing, while playing on a desolate, cave-ridden mountainside. After resurfacing without any explanation, the children begin to exhibit strange behavior until it becomes clear that something sinister has come home with them. At times the audience is left guessing, but everything comes full circle at one point or another and by the end of the film, all questions are answered. There are no holes or gaps in the story, aside from the fact that they are asking you to believe in the supernatural or more specifically, demons/the devil. The story-telling in this film is reminiscent of an old, local legend-type folklore, in which human beings act essentially as hermit crab shells for an ancient, cave-dwelling evil. The story is refreshingly original with a classic feel.

The sexually explicit opening scene is more than enough to catch anyone’s attention. Let that be a warning that due to the sexual content of the film, I don’t recommend watching this one with your family. Although the sexual content diminishes throughout the film, the vulgarity of the sex scenes in the beginning of the film are certainly an effective way of creating a raw, artistic tone. As the film progresses, it maintains an impressively raw and realistic cinematography; as opposed to looking too polished or computer generated. The special effects in this film are few and far apart, which works well for this particular film. The shots involving levitation, gore or demonic faces are either quick or dark; this gives the audience no time to visually investigate a bad makeup or cheaply done effect. I was impressed by the effectiveness of the film’s “less is more” technique.

Although the film had a good story and believable effects, it is not an intensely entertaining film. Unlike most mainstream/wide-release films, it’s not exactly a thrill ride that will have you at the edge of your seat or frightened. This film is much more story oriented and dialogue-based. If you generally enjoy foreign and/or independent films, you will immensely enjoy Here Comes the Devil. An overall well-done, tasteful story of the supernatural.

Enjoy!