Movie Review: I Trapped the Devil

I Trapped the Devil *** / *****

Directed by: Josh Lobo.

Written by: Josh Lobo.

Starring: Scott Poythress (Steve), AJ Bowen (Matt), Susan Burke (Karen), Rowan Russell (Ben / Cop #1), John Marrott (Alan / Cop #2), Jocelin Donahue (Sarah), Chris Sullivan (The Man), Jack Vernon (Santa), Victoria Smith (Her).

 

In general, I am in favor of slow burn horror. I think that horror is scarier when its built on atmosphere, and a mounting sense of dread, eventually building to the cathartic climax. The new horror film I Trapped the Devil pushes this slow burn premise almost too far. Luckily, for Josh Lobo’s debut film, the climax is worth the slow buildup, and he is smart enough to keep the film – just 83 minutes – so even if it takes a long time to deliver what it promises, it’s still not that long. And there’s a lot to admire along the way.

 

The film opens with Matt (AJ Bowen) and Karen (Susan Burke) deciding to visit Matt’s brother Steve (Scott Poythress) at Christmas – for the first time in two years. Steve isn’t happy to see them – he tells they need to leave, right now. But it’s the family home, Matt has a right to be there, and they are concerned for Steve – who has been on a downward spiral in recent years, for reasons we will eventually learn. They want to be there for him – and the state of the house, crosses all over the walls, windows papered up, a loaded gun under a bed, etc. makes them concerned for him. The concern reaches a fever pitch when Steve confesses that he has a man locked in the basement. But it isn’t any man – it’s the devil. He’s managed to trap him. And if he can keep him down there, the world will be a better place.

 

Of course, this films spends much of its time wavering back and forth – providing enough evidence so you are unsure of whether or not Steve has just gone crazy, or if he’s gone crazy, but that he’s right. Like the audience, Matt and Karen aren’t quite sure what to make of this either. This is probably the hardest part of the movie to believe – the decisions Matt and Karen make, when they decide to hold off on doing anything, when they venture done into the basement, when they do whatever they do seem to more at the mercy of the plot needs than anything that makes sense from their point-of-view. There is no real evidence to suggest that any of them are religious – that they are prone to believe something this crazy sounding.

 

And yet, the film still works. Part of this is because of the film’s strongest performance – by Scott Poythress as Steve, who is convincing as the already unraveled Steve. Whatever descent he has gone through, it’s already in the past. He’s already off the deep end. But he really, truly, deeply believes in what he is saying – he believes everything that he is saying. Part of that is wonderfully creepy atmosphere that Lobo and company are able to create. The house is a normal house, made to look and feel incredibly creepy. It looks mainly normal, just a little off. It’s mainly a three room film – the rundown, but not overly dilapidated kitchen, the attic, full of Steve’s insane diagrams, and the basement – bathed in red light. The voice behind the door (provided by Chris Sullivan) walks that fine line so that he never gives the game away – until it’s time to give it away. It’s also rather smart that Lobo doesn’t try and explain anything – we never really learn how or why Steve came into contact with this man, or how he trapped him in the basement. You have to accept it.

 

When the climax does come, it is effective. You can pick on some of the character motivations as to why they do what they do, but the ultimately final moments in the final are so skillfully staged and shot that you are truly terrified. It’s a great finale.

 

This is an indie film, so you know it’s fairly low budget. It’s smart for Lobo then to do what he does here – it’s basically all in one house, with three actors, and a voice behind a door. Given those limitations, the movie works very well. It is probably a little too slow, a little too clichéd, with characters who behave a little too conventionally for the sake of the plot. But there’s skill here. I want to see what Lobo does next.