Inner Demon review
Director: Ursula Dabrowsky
Cast: Sarah Jeavons, Kerry Ann Reid, Andreas Sobik
Certificate: TBD
Running Time: 84 Minutes
Synopsis: A pair of kidnapped girls manage to escape their captors; a homicidal married couple. Unfortunately they seek refuge somewhere far more dangerous.
Australian horror has a lot to live up after the success of The Babadook, although I must admit to having been unimpressed by that, admittedly solid, effort. Inner Demon is the second film from director Urusula Dabrowsky who gave us the forgettable Family Demons. Demons, both literal and figurative seem to be of great interest to Dabrowsky and it’s always encouraging to see a horror film step outside its comfort zone to intertwine real life issues of the soul, with the horrors happening on screen. At times Inner Demon may have some intelligent ideas, but it stumbles rather than glides.
The film doesn’t mess around when getting started. We’re straight into the action with a pair of sisters being kidnapped. We’ve had just enough time to establish Jeavons as our lead, a caring and protective older sister. We’re spared any whiny teenage fluff about having to look after the younger sibling, although this also prevents much character growth. It is refreshing though to see such a character who is reliable from the start. What makes Jeavons’ Sam a joy to watch is that she isn’t your typical victim either. She cries and screams, as most young women would, but she also pauses and uses her mind to make best use of her environment.
Inner Demon review
It’s a shame then that with such a resourceful character, and a very quick start, the film slows to a halt. After Sam escapes, we spend a long time running through the woods, where the music comically dies down and just as it’s faded starts back up again. This chase sequence goes on for far too long, and once Sam finds a home to hide in, it of course turns out to be that of her captors. Once in the house she is locked in a cupboard, where we spend the majority of what’s left of the film. These sections are fine, but not at the length they are presented in Inner Demon as they don’t seem to go anywhere.
The villains are also rather bland, with Denise (Reid), showing some remorse over her actions, but this again goes nowhere, and a very unconvincing performance by Andreas Sobik. He spits out lines that are meant to be terrifying, or at the very least unsettling, but his pantomime delivery is more desperate. He’s drunk and violent, but lacks the intimidating menace of a true antagonist.
The latter half of the film does start to incorporate a wonderfully surprising twist, which helps mix up the genre and alleviate some of the boredom. It’s a shame that this again doesn’t go anywhere of much interest, and the film almost back pedals to shove us back in the closet once more. Instead, we’re left with a confusing turn of events which aren’t so much thought provoking, as they are aggravating.
Inner Demon review
In terms of visuals we are treated to many dark colours, without struggling to see what’s going on. At least Dubrowsky can handle a camera well enough to bring even the small closet space to life. Jeavons performance is what drives the film. It’s a strong and emotional role that is fully capitalised on, even if the plot does seem to fizzle out. Jeavons is the perfect horror victim, one who is terrified, but never too irritating. One who takes her chances, but never makes stupid decisions. And it’s all brought to life in a relatable and realistic way.
Inner Demon wants to be deep and exploratory, but for that to work you have to have a solid central plot to begin with. There are good ideas at play, a strong atmosphere of brooding danger, and a role which the lead can sink her teeth into. However, far too little happens for the longest time, and outside of the atmosphere, there seems to be little to fear.
Inner Demon review by Luke Ryan Baldock, August 2015.
Inner Demon screened at Frightfest 2015.
