Dir. Tom Woodruff Jr, USA, 2015, 95 mins
Cast: Tobias Jelinek, Danielle Churchran, Keely Aloña
The first fifteen to twenty minutes of this film are confusing to say the least. There is no introduction to plot or characters and you are literally thrown into the deep end and expected to understand what is happening. Along comes a demon called Atum Vine (Jelinek) and the residents of his apartment building: a drunk mother; her abusive boyfriend and vulnerable eleven year old daughter: a couple with severe relationship issues: a mystical demon called Cornelia (Churchran) as well as several others.
Just when you think you have got to grips with the story line, the next set of events just confuse you even more. They take place the next morning when Vine wakes up in a world that’s the complete opposite to that he was just in, where the humans are no longer miserable but cheerful in their daily life, thus starving the demons of their food source by trapping them in the building, where the majority of the movie is shot.
The truth as to why this event has occurred eventually comes out and you begin to feel for Vine, as it is his compassion for the young girl being abused that has caused this change to come about. Demons are not meant to feel compassion for their victims but feed off the misery they have inside. Upon realizing that it is he that has caused this change, he must choose between saving the girl or his race.
We have seen countless movies with demons and humans usually fighting each other; however Fire City contains quite an original plot with demons feeding off the human’s misery then cut off from their food source when the residents become cheerful.
Although it takes a very long time to become even remotely interested in the narrative, when you do finally understand what is going on, which is when the demons themselves explain it, you find yourself wanting to watch to the end to find out exactly what is going on and why.
The effects used on the demons’ appearance looks to be simple prosthetics with a little make up; imagine the type of thing you would have seen in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. In a time where many films rely on CGI, it is different yet appealing to see something that is brought back to basics.
Although this movie will have your head in a buzz for the first twenty minute or so, if you do decide to stick it out, you will be intrigued by the result.
Fire City: End of Days is out now on DVD.
Review by Michelle Moore
