BLU RAY REVIEW - BELZEBUTH (2021)
Religious horror and specifically demonic possession, films have been having their moment in the spotlight these past few years. I know I’ve mentioned it in other reviews, but the general trend seems to be to up the gore and depravity...and I am here for it! To me, religious horror has always felt very hit or miss and it has never felt particularly scary. I wasn’t raised in a religious household, so I suspect this may be part of the reason the genre has never fully connected with me. There is a certain redundancy to possession films that makes them one of the more difficult genres to innovate in at the moment. We have seen exorcisms so many ways, in different cultures and creative perspectives that in order to keep things exciting the go-to trick has been to increase the violence. This brings us to BELZEBUTH, a SHUDDER exclusive released in 2020 that is now available on Blu-Ray from ACORN MEDIA. So does BELZEBUTH summon something new and interesting, or does it fall victim to treading in familiar footsteps?
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
After a personal tragedy, a police detective investigates a school massacre committed by a student - and another massacre. Are the 3 tragedies linked to demon possession?
Tobin Bell is the coolest priest you’ll ever meet
HOW IS IT?
There is a lot to enjoy in BELZEBUTH, particularly if you are looking for a more gruesome approach to the religious / possession genre. This film not only contains copious amounts of bloodletting throughout, but it also offers up some pretty startling violence as soon as the first 10 minutes. It’s something that works to the film's favor, as the seemingly random acts of violence make the world feel bigger than if this was contained to a more intimate possession narrative. The opening scenes of the film offer up somewhat of a “make or break” moment for the viewer; if you can’t handle that you’re likely going to have a tough time getting through the rest.
If you decide to continue, BELZEBUTH offers up just enough variance to the religious / possession formula to keep the viewer following along and engaged. The downside is the film overstays its welcome somewhat with an almost 2-hour running time that could’ve easily been trimmed down to 90-minutes. This is not to say the film doesn’t make every attempt to keep you invested, as the action happens at a quick pace. It just seems to lose some of its impact as the film goes on.
The performances from the cast are great with TOBIN BELL playing a priest or a Mad Max extra, and JOAQUÍN COSIO does an excellent job as the tormented cop at the center of this demonic madness.
HOW DOES IT LOOK?
The blu ray I reviewed was courtesy of ACORN MEDIA and the film is presented in 2:35:1 aspect ratio. The picture was crisp and clean and colors felt natural and soft where needed to capture the many desert scenes.
HOW DOES IT SOUND?
The blu ray I reviewed came with a Dolby 5.1 Audio Mix that came through crisp and well-balanced. Not a lot of use of the surround sound elements, but overall a good sound mix.
ANYTHING SPECIAL?
There were no special features included on this disc.
He’s back and it’s not even Easter!
LAST RITES
Fans of the religious and possession horror genres will get a lot of mileage out of BELZEBUTH, as would horror fans looking for some dark and brutal content. While it doesn’t reinvent or innovate the genre, BELZEBUTH is a vastly entertaining and ambitiously bloody affair.
THE GORY DETAILS
Directed By
Written By
Starring
Where can you watch it?
Pray for mercy, evil has risen in Emilio Portes’ Belzebuth, a chilling Shudder Original gore-fest that descends to the depths of hell. The film had its UK Blu-ray debut from Acorn Media International on 13 September 2021 and is available on DVD and digital as well.
