Movie Review: We Summon The Darkness

Tapping into the current 80s nostalgia craze but going down the route of the ‘Satanic Panic’ hysteria rather than neon colours and arcade games, We Summon The Darkness is a bloody blast of fun.

Throw in a bit of a road trip, a dash of Scream, the essence of Funny Games and plenty of references to 80s music (the film leans on metal/rock, but we get Belinda Carlisle and even T’Pau thrown in for good measure) director Marc Meyers’ effort focuses on three female rock fans, driving across the country for a concert at exactly the sort of sweat-drenched, alcohol-fuelled dive you would imagine.

Once at the venue the three – Alexis (Alexandra Daddario), Val (Maddie Hasson) and Bev (Amy Forsyth), find themselves approached by a gaggle of male wannabes/probably-never-will-be rockers. Punching way above their weight, the prospect of booze, joints and their van is enough for the dudes to worm their way back to the plush home of Alexis for some further partying.

But then the drinking goes up a notch, ‘dares’ come into play – and things start getting out of hand…

I really don’t want to say too much more on the plot, as one of the delights of We Summon The Darkness is the number of crackerjack twists and turns the story takes along the way to its bloodsoaked conclusion, with extra characters thrown in here and there to ramp up the tension – and the bodycount.

The film also works in that is pitches itself as way over-the-top, but still clings admirably to the world of believability – there are moments of humour, but you are laughing with the film, not at it.

Key to this are the respective trios, with all six putting forth excellent work. Daddario is to all intents and purposes the ‘lead’ and boy does she run with it, wielding a shot glass and knife with equal gusto. But kudos to all, with the separate gangs (the guys are Keean Johnson, Logan Miller and Austin Swift btw) giving off that vibe of being genuine friends with ease.

As if all that was not enough, we also get drugs, power tools, wads of cash – and Johnny Knoxville turning up as an over-zealous pastor railing against the ‘evils’ of metal music.

The film does lose a point in the home straight as characters who really should be dead appear fine and vice-versa, but that is a minor quibble for a film that for virtually its entire running time really hits the spot.

Signature Entertainment & FrightFest Presents presents We Summon The Darkness on Digital HD April 20th and DVD 11th May