Film Review: ART OF THE DEAD (2019)

ART OF THE DEAD *** USA 2019 Dir: Rolfe Kanefsky. 97 mins

Art should touch the soul and bring great joy, but in this one from Mahal Empire it brings everlasting misery. It would be a sin not to watch it and the mysterious introduction sets you up perfectly for an enjoyable horror fest that although not as dark as I expected is definitely loaded with the creepiness of mortal and immortal evil.

The film will infect you with evil sinsuality as the clever writing and haunting musical score by Christopher Farrell explores in detail each of the ancient seven deadly sins that the disturbed unknown 19th century artist Dorian Wilde (played with great devilish intent by Danny Tesla) created when he sold his very soul to create some everlasting masterpieces that only bring misery to their owners instead of joy.

An ex-priest played well by Robert Donavan gets an eyeful and a janitor gets more than he can stomach as these deadly paintings wreak havoc on a wealthy but normal and peace loving all-American family. Is $500000 really a price worth paying for the events that will follow? And is the Centaur Gallery not all that it would seem?

There are scenes of nudity, violence, dark suspense and some soul chilling special effects in this convincing horror thriller that are skilfully combined with a gripping story of the powers of darkness that will tease you in with an evil and sinsual delight that will make you cry with dark laughter and moan with intense misery as the plot winds to an enthralling, exciting, dark and twisted ending.

Does the Devil even have a price?

At least one that is worth paying anyway?

If seeing IS believing, how much do you really wanna see?

Review by Nathan Sandiford