GODFORSAKEN (a.k.a. The Eve Of Winter) *** USA 2019 Dir: Olivia Jones. 95 mins
Another indie Halloween horror movie! No, we don’t get Michael Myers or Sam from Trick ‘R Treat, but what we do get is a film based around the myth of The Eve of Winter (Halloween), when the veil is thin and demons come to earth to collect souls.
Godforsaken follows the story of a young woman “Dina” who’s confronted with a profound and intense spirituality crisis. She’s the one person who can save the many tortured souls and the world from the most evil of demons with help from a nun and a priest in this classic tale as old as time, good vs. evil.
Godforsaken makes good use of the numerous macabre tales of tortured victims, woven throughout the duration of the film, as the demon comes down to take their souls, claiming ownership for eternity. These parts of the film are the most creepy, and they feel like something straight out of the Saw franchise.
The film is full of weird dream sequences and musical numbers…yes, musical numbers! Crazy after effects and good use of cinematography throughout!
This isn’t a scary horror film, but more like a full on campy horror. You’ll find your toes tapping to these catchy songs, including a scene at a Halloween party with three women dressed up as witches singing, I put a spell on you! And, a climatic dance number at the end of the film which is as good as a Ghost music video.
Godforsaken is an indie horror film that feels like a Channel 5 movie on crack. I don’t know what it is, but this film does have a very likeable charm that makes you keep watching!
It’s fun but it’s not in your face creepy horror, so fans of gruesome horror films might want to give this one a miss. This film reminded me of a Halloween TV special, but that’s not a bad thing!
Review by Tony Newton