The Diabolical (2015) Reviews

• Good but unpolished movie

  jumei-san2015-12-19

  This is the first review I'm writing since EVER because I really have to rectify all these bad ratings and reviews for this movie. First of all, the title is super misleading. This is not a ghost movie. It's more of a mix between horror and science fiction. This movie is nothing like the traditional ghost story, probably why most people are so disappointed. I've seen people reviewing this movie who turned it off after only half an hour screen time: BIG MISTAKE! The story starts to take shape after 45 minutes and it gets really interesting from there. Small details reveal the plot and even though not all is clear at the end, I understand that some people might not get it at all and just sign it off with a low rating. I have to admit that the plot feels a bit messy, you get dropped off in the middle of the story with creepy entities appearing and not knowing what has happened to the family beforehand. But give it a chance. You might be surprised. It is obviously not the best movie ever, but I appreciate that the makers tried something different. It's just a shame that the big audience will never like 'different' kind of movies. Many of my favorite movies have bad ratings on IMDb. Honestly, this movie is better than some blockbuster movies who appeared in the cinema. But I guess there is no arguing about matters of taste. And to people who say that the house is too expensive for a single mom: you probably mean 'too expensive for a unemployed single mom'. Because if not, you're being really sexist.

• Attempts to avoid old horror tropes

  amesmonde2015-10-19

  A single mother moves into a haunted house only to find there is something else terrorizing her that may not be a ghost. Reminiscent of the 100 feet (2008), Jessabelle (2014) and The Pact (2012) to name a few and the likes of paradox films Terminator (1984), Predestination (2014) thrown in for good measure, The Diabolical tries it hardest to put a spin on the haunted house genre. Director, writer Alistair Legrand along with writer Luke Harvis give a script that's mostly confined to one location. Harvis and Legrand offer reasonable reasons why the family can't leave the home and they keep everything quite grounded for the genre with the spiritual investigation scenes short and sweet. As with most new model horrors the victims refreshingly tackle the spectre-like assailants head on. There's great gooey looking practical effects and some modest visual effect setups as the single parent family is frightened. Ian Hultquist delivers a great score, however, the compositions are overused during some of the talking scenes. What's notable about Legrand's offering is that the child actors are very plausible, also Ali Larter as Madison shoulders the film effortlessly with a good performance. What could have been a mundane, Legrand's camera work with John Frost cinematography and sharp editing from Blair Miller make the sets ups interesting especially when Madison enlists the help of her scientist boyfriend and during a game of Monopoly and they are attacked. There's also sub-plots of a house foreclosure and the future making of a terrible teen which are both handled well. As it unfolds that the haunting is not her deceased husband, but is due to something scientific involving her son, it shifts echoing a Lost in Space (1998) twist device as Madison in the closing tries to break a potential time loop. With an interesting take on a worn twist, The Diabolical is tied up nicely. It's a film that attempts to avoid old horror tropes but like quicksand the harder it tries the more it falls into the hallmarks. Overall, it's a solid enough chiller to pass the time with.

• A lot of buildup for mediocrity

  quincytheodore2016-01-01

  Diabolical is insanely dull. It portrays so many haunting stereotypes in alarmingly uninteresting ways. The focus on drama is appreciated, although it dawdles needlessly for half the runtime, and even then it falters with lackluster attempt in horror and poor design for the creature. At the end it tries to pull off a nifty twist, but unfortunately audience would already be disenchanted by the clumsy execution. An entity binds a single mother and her two children to a particular house. What follows is average haunting gimmick which other movies have done better. It often stays too long on certain scene or abruptly changes tone with several supporting characters, either ways it doesn't pay off in the slightest. Ali Larter as the mother does a decent job on creating some family drama, however the tired theme of single mother struggling grows old too fast. She faces mortgage issue, visits from social services and even bullied by strange entities. It becomes mundane later on, not to mention the other characters seem like extras without much personality and the things they do sometimes defy logic as they wander aimlessly. All of those flaws can be forgiven, as most horror tend to skimp on narrative, but The Diabolical is simply not frightening. Practical effect is poorly done and the special effect looks awfully fake. The design for creature might be decent for the first or second time it appears, but this is the case of not showing too much can be more effective, which doesn't help much since the movie can't set up any suspense regardless. The effort to create drama is decent, but it soon becomes repetitive and tedious, especially when the movie can't deliver any horror, thrill or even the slightest tension.

• Creative low budget ghost story that breaks the mold

  manwithamoviestore2015-10-16

  The Diabolical is Alistair Legrand's debut feature, and right out of the gate he's made quite a memorable film. The strengths of the film lie in the look of the film and the writing. This low budget feature looks far better than it has any right to. In this era of found footage horror it is refreshing to see a debut that goes for a cinematic look as opposed to a thrown together shaky cam look. The story is very solid, though hard to speak of without going into spoiler heavy territory. Legrand has taken a standard ghost tale and added some fun twists to the third act that elevate The Diabolical well above its brethren. We'll leave it at that so as not to spoil the fun. The movie is great for those that want a mix of horror with sci-fi and a focus on character. If you are looking for someone to get offed every 10 minutes this movie is not for you. This is not a slasher, or even a traditional ghost story. It takes its cues equally from ET as it does from Poltergeist. If you want great atmosphere, characters you feel for, and a plot that engages your mental faculties you will have a great time with the movie! Looking online it seems some folks have been a bit confused by elements of the plot, but if you are a viewer of any sophistication that should not be the case. You don't get a Psycho shrink laying it all out for you at the end, but the plot twists in the third act are clear if you're paying attention. If this first feature is any indication, we have a lot to look forward to from Legrand! Here's hoping this unique take on the ghost story manages to find its audience.

• What a diabolical experience

  spook-192015-08-13

  I had the misfortune of watching this movie today in Dubai. I went in with no expectations as this film has not been released elsewhere and there are no reviews or ratings on IMDb. The movie starts off on the wrong foot by introducing a very weak looking paranormal being. Trust me when I say have created better looking creature costumes for Halloween than this film. The plot is a mess and we are left guessing what happened to the distressed family and the connection between the 'entity'. I had 15 or so people walk out of the theater but I decided to sit through in the hopes for some slight redemption in the last act and boy, do I wish I hadn't. The so called horror and suspense (That doesn't exist in the first place) changes in to a very cheap sci-fi hodge-podge. At one point I was wondering if I was being subjected to a cheap rip-off of The Terminator. I felt very bad for Ali Larter as an actress as she tries her best to act well but also fails thanks to the shameful direction. I would advise anyone to stay away from this steaming pile of dung.