MIFF MOVIE REVIEW: DEVIL'S CANDY

7/10

A young family, obsessed with heavy metal, moves into a house with a troubled history. It's not long before the previous owner returns and tries to get in. And he would not take "No" for an answer. He likes heavy metal too, only for his own personal reasons - loud music keeps the voices in his head at bay. And it's the voice of Satan that he is hearing.

DEVIL'S CANDY is the second feature from the Australian director Sean Byrne, following his still very popular THE LOVED ONES, and this is his first American film. 

The premise is not highly original, however what this movie lacks in originality it delivers in tension. A slow burning thriller soon turns dark and violent, culminating in a cleverly made straightforward home invasion scene that will make your skin crawl.

But the biggest win for DEVIL'S CANDY is not the scares, but the characters. Byrne has created a tightly knit family with real relationships and real problems. It's a very sympathetic bunch, and Kiara Glasco, as the young daughter, is particularly charismatic. She is a promising actor to watch!

DEVIL'S CANDY hardly gives anything new to the genre, but in the world where remakes rule, being an original script and being this good is a rare treat for a horror movie buff.

QUICK FACTS

Director Sean Byrne mentioned during Q&A that the film is based on the real story, when his family members were harassed by the previous owner of the house they lived in;

Various rock bands gave green light to use their music in the film;

The paintings in the film were created by a real life Devil Worshiper;