Bedevilled (15) | Home Ents Review
Dir. Abel Vang and Burlee Vang, US, 2017, 98 mins
Cast: Saxon Sharbino, Bonnie Morgan, Brandon Soo Hoo,
Review by Michelle Moore
Teenage life today is very different to ten or even twenty years ago. The life of this generation of teens (and the majority of adults) revolves around one thing…Technology! From computers of all shapes and sizes, to fit bits, mobiles and many other Internet driven pieces of technology. Anything and everything connects to the internet and has quite a large impact on the day to day running of your life.
But what happens when something supernatural uses technology to have some fun and prey on our weaknesses. In the case of Bedevilled, when this group of teenagers is invited to download the latest smartphone app, they think they have hit the jackpot. An app that appears to think for itself, answers your every question and you can have an intelligent conversation. Harmless right? Think again.
This app has a rather sinister nature and soon the teenagers are left fighting for their lives as something begins tapping into their deepest, darkest fears and bringing them to reality. The camera work here is top class with tracking shots leading to shadows, a few innocent moments that make you jump and with the addition of a cast that are able to show an arrange of emotions, in particular fear, and you have a horror movie that makes you think twice before reading for your phone when it beeps.
The opening scene shows one young girl being tormented and the way in which the camera twists the visual shots of this creature is incredible and purely menacing; so much so it is enough to make your skin crawl and itch and the hairs on the back of your neck stand up on end. There are long shots of the room that make you take a second glance and ask yourself, did I really see what I think I just saw.
The only time some salvation looks bright for this group is when one particular tech-savvy teen believes he can rid the group of this menacing app. If you have a slight phobia or a feeling of uneasiness when it comes to clowns or masks, then be warned that when you do at times see the face of this perpetrator, it may be unnerving.
Bedevilled is a spine tingling movie that will stay with you and maybe make you think of all the information you have on your phone; emails, texts, messages, photos, all the apps you have going on in the background when you are having a simple conversation – how could they be used against you? Next time you get a notification on the newest and highly anticipated app, just think before you download.
Bedevilled is available for Digital download from 17th September 2018
