I've watched more than enough of a variety of horror to reasonably harbor significant doubts about this before sitting for it. While with earnest care and hard work even amateur horror can far outshine major studio productions, the unfortunate truth is that in the Age of the Internet anyone can make anything and have it distributed for an audience. And "anything" too often means fare that sorely lacks the requisite care and hard work; alternatively, contributors' skills may be sufficiently undeveloped that all the sincere passion in the world can't help a movie stand firm. The least that can be said about this 2009 English-American co-production is that its prospects aren't that low, and I believe I do recognize the earnest effort that those involved are applying. Regrettably, however, this doesn't get us very far, and '666: A demon within' fails to pass muster. To be perfectly frank, this is one movie you can do without.
The chief trouble is that writer and director Harold Gasnier direly lacks the finessed, nuanced hand that the feature requires. The story is ostensibly one of seduction and temptation as newlywed Debbie (Sophie Austin) is drawn into embracing evil - a premise that has been the backbone of countless classics (some great, and some not so great), and some modern successors. As part and parcel of that core one rightly anticipates seedy yet rich atmosphere that vividly realizes the proverbial siren's call, the inner struggle, and ultimately the protagonist's descent into wickedness and newfound power. Sadly, that's not what we get in these 100 minutes. On paper and in execution Gasnier is tiresomely heavy-handed and blunt, and without the subtlety and delicate touch necessary to bring the intended dark airs to bear, the picture is simply limp, flat, thin, passive, and disinterested. Not one feeling that the tale should invite is present in the slightest: no excitement, no titillation, no revulsion, no thrills. Scenes may as well have been drawn on cardboard with stick figures.
The dialogue is bad (a generous descriptor), the scene writing doesn't remotely meet its potential, and perish the thought of becoming invested in characters. There's not the slightest chance of finding the narrative compelling; case in point, an expected climactic moment falls within the first third, curiously, and lands with all the impact of a feather on a bed of straw. Much to follow fares worse, including incohesive sloppiness in the last stretch, and the cast are certainly affected in turn. I'm inclined to think that, given the chance, the actors would ably demonstrate their abilities. Here, however, their performances are achingly bereft of the vitality that would unlock the film's potency, and if we're lucky we might get a few scattered moments that approximate what we want. This is to say nothing of music that is hopelessly bland and artificial, and just as unlikely as the acting to come close to anything meaningful. We get some relatively smart use of lighting, yet the fundamental image quality is so bare-faced and sterile as to further stifle whatever ambience the title may have hoped to claim.
I recognize what this could have been. There are good ideas here. With fleeting, rare exceptions those good ideas are not treated well, and many scenes - like that surrounding the one-hour mark, and the one to follow, and still others - flounder so awfully that one can only cringe, sigh, and ask, uselessly, "are you kidding me?" Part of me feels bad in being so negative and critical, because again, I do think Gasnier, his cast, and his crew were making an honest go of film-making. Nonetheless, countless past examples exist from which the man could have sought inspiration, and '666: A demon within' falls woefully short of them all. Even if we try to set aside all our past knowledge and experience with the medium, the movie is far too glaringly weak to find any success, and the miniscule value it has to offer can be found more easily elsewhere without also suffering through the worst aspects.
Whatever it is you think you're going to get out of this flick, you're mistaken. I guess I'm glad for anyone who does enjoy it; I can only hope that some day I might see something else these folks have made, and be impressed. '666: A demon within,' however, just doesn't cut it, and I can't fathom ever recommending it. And even that is probably being too kind.
