Reviewed by: Pamela Karpelenia
CONTRIBUTOR
Moral Rating: | Extremely Offensive |
Moviemaking Quality: |
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Primary Audience: | • Young Adults |
Genre: | Supernatural-Horror |
Length: | 1 hr. 33 min. |
Year of Release: | 2018 |
USA Release: |
August 10, 2018 (wide—2,000+ theaters) DVD: October 30, 2018 |
Possible negative effects of supernatural horror movies on young minds
Who is the Enemy of manking that seeks to sow deception and fear in people’s minds? Answer
What are DEVILS and DEMONS in the Bible
FEAR, Anxiety and Worry—What does the Bible say? Answer
Featuring |
Joey King … Wren Javier Botet … Slender Man Annalise Basso … Piper Julia Goldani Telles … Hallie Jaz Sinclair … Chloe Kevin Chapman … Mr. Jensen Taylor Richardson … Lizzie Michael Reilly Burke … Hallie’s Dad Jessica Blank … Hallie’s Mom Kallie Tabor … Allison Riley See all » |
Director | Sylvain White — “Stomp the Yard” (2007), “I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer” (2006) |
Producer |
Mythology Entertainment Madhouse Entertainment See all » |
Distributor |
Screen Gems, a division of Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment |
He has no face. He has no face!
This film opens with a group of gal pals—Wren (Joey King), Piper (Annalise Basso), Hallie (Julia Goldani Telles), and Chloe (Jaz Sinclair)—that look strangely similar to cast of “The Craft.” These girls appear bored by conventional wisdom and the world around them. One overhears that boys in their circle have plans that exclude the girls. So, the girls decide that they are going to copy them and summon Slender Man (an unknown demonica> evil being). They learn that they must watch a video (similar to “The Ring”), follow simple directions and listen for bells. After doing so, the girls experience a truly dark, demonic and deeply immersive experience, leaving them forever changed.
This is the introduction to what amounts to a sinister endeavor preying on the naïveté of teenagers dabbling with works of Satan.
The acting is satisfactory. However, the characters are underdeveloped. The plot is deceptively simple and leads the audience—masquerading as just another teen horror movie. However, underneath is a ritualistic, unnerving film that may lead a spirituality unarmed people down a dark path.
There is a lot of objectionable content. It centers around what happens when people invite evil into their lives, and, instead of calling out to the Jesus, they put themselves above God and think that they can solve their own problems—to their own destruction.
The teens use very abrasive language—some sexual in nature. One teen is shown in a sexual position with another student.
The overarching theme of summoning something from the other side and bringing it into their lives is highly objectionable. Opening up one’s self to demonic presences is never a good idea, and goes against God’s Word.
I do not recommend this film. It tries to pawn itself off as a mish-mash of better horror films (“The Craft,” “The Ring”) which are also dark in nature, but this film is darker and grows darker.
See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.
PLEASE share your observations and insights to be posted here.