Greetings And Salutations, and welcome to my review of Demon Hunter; here's the breakdown of my ratings:
Story: 1.25
Direction: 1.25
Pace: 1.25
Acting: 1.25
Enjoyment: 1.25
TOTAL: 6.25 out of 10.00.
From out of the darkness jumps the seldom-seen but highly entertaining Demon Hunter - Cazador De Demonios. This little-known Mexico horror was a delight to watch.
Writer and director Gilberto De Anda delivers a comprehensive tale about a Nahual, a werewolf-like creature of Mexican legend, to the viewers. He spatters his fantastical story with a logical storyline and credible characters. One of the village women is giving birth, and while the locals try to assist, the husband rushes to fetch the doctor. But before he returns with help, a native shaman performs a ceremony over her, covering her pregnant belly with the blood of a chicken. The husband throws the wisened old Indian out the door and into the dust and dirt, vowing revenge. Sadly, tragedy befalls the family and not too soon afterwards, the shaman's body's recovered from the town's river. This brutal ending is the mere beginning of the small town's troubles. No sooner has the sheriff and his men buried the murdered shaman than livestock and residents begin to be savagely attacked and killed. Is it a bear, as the mayor believes, or is there some dark force at work? To the greatest extent, the story works. However, one thing niggled at me. The Christian depiction of Satan as a goat creature was painted on an old mission basement wall. Why would a native American be following Christianity's evil path? Most indigents have their own belief and faith systems. I believe it would've been more effective for the story to have the evil grow from the native religion rather than from Christianity. But that was my only niggle, and it's such a small thing. Everything else I enjoyed. How Anda progresses the narrative is exceptional. It allows the viewer ease of understanding of the situation. It's a logical advancement of action and reaction; that, in turn, warrants another reaction, that deserves another, and further justifies another, until we arrive at the climax, and the viewer knows precisely how we reached the final destination. It's a simple idea that can be tricky to pull off: Happily, Anda has the skill. He even throws in some bonuses, like the master-slave relationship the mayor wants with the sheriff and the wonderful segment that witnesses the townsfolk turn on one of their own, because he's different and because the mayor has deemed he may be the killer. It helps to show what people are capable of when they're afraid and when one individual seeks hero worship.
He also possesses an above-average talent for cinematography. Though not every scene in Demon Hunter is perfect, every one works well to hold the viewers' attention. I particularly enjoyed his representation of good versus evil when the devil attacks the priest in the basement of an old mission. Even with a low budget, he does a respectable job of breaking hell loose, even if it's only for a few minutes. The foremost element of the picture I admired most was the underlying positive atmosphere. Many of today's horror and supernatural flicks are depressive and hang heavy. As I watched Demon Hunter, I realised I was enjoying it, and it wasn't merely down to the storyline or characters or the occasional thrill of an eerie chill. There was something else about it. On reflection, I realised it was the lightness and ease of the viewing, which I now attribute to that low constant hum of assuredness.
The cast is good. None are great, and none are terrible. It's their ordinariness that helps ground the story in realism. Anda has produced some fine characters and relationships, and the performers give fine performances portraying them.
Demon Hunter is a superbly structured story that is well-filmed and nicely acted. As such, I'd absolutely recommend it for viewing, even just once. And remember, this is probably the only horror to feature a Nahual as the monster of choice. A bonus for all horror lovers. I Kissed A Nahual, And I Liked It - now that should be on a T-shirt.
Okay, before we grab the rifle-packing priest and set off to track this wee little beastie down, take a minute or two to read my IMDb list - Absolute Horror to see where I ranked Demon Hunter.
Take Care & Stay Well.
