(Online Screener Copy)
Directed by Jason Hawkins
Written by Jason Hawkins
Produced by Dara Davey, Jason Hawkins and Amber Smith
Stars: Dara Davey, Eileen Dietz, Patrick D. Green, Alicia Rose, Natasha Timpani, Michael A. LaFlamme, Simon Scott, Jason Hawkins.
It was my absolute pleasure to be asked to put out the first review of Gravestone Entertainments new movie The Devil Knows His Own. Director Jason Hawkins and his amazing team delivered the skin crawlingly powerful 15: Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer recently, a film that honestly still plays on my mind every now and again today! While yes, it was a tough pill to swallow it was also a very very good movie with some stunning performances and some genuine frights. When I started to see the promo material for The Devil Knows His Own I was sold on its creepy imagery and plot details.
The film features Dara Davey (also co producer) as Jessica Ray, a woman married to the beautiful Lacey Middleton (Natasha Timpani who just BLEW me away in her role in 15) who is seeing a therapist, which audiences are let in on during the opening scenes. It appears that the two woman are not succeeding in their attempts to have a baby which leads to a confession from Jessica that there is very good reason as to why she cannot carry a baby herself. I don't want to give much of that away than I have because the film is very much about the childhood of both Jessica and her brother Ethan Ray (Patrick D. Green) and the horrors they endured at a young age. After learning of the death of their grandmother, Jessica, Ethan, Lacey along with Ethans girlfriend Melanie return to the siblings childhood home which incidentally has been left to Jessica as an inheritance. Unfortunately terrors of the past are going to become the horrors of the present and soon all manner of unsettling and macabre events start to occur.
The thing I loved most about this movie was its structuring as a horror/mystery. You are given just enough information about some of the things that happened to Jessica and Ethan as children, but the rest you are going to have to find out as you go along as the past is resurrected. I am honestly not ashamed to admit that there several 'holy fucking shit!' moments which made my horror loving little heart jump into my throat. Again I dont want to spoil anything so all I will say is look out for the shower scene, the 'smiling man' and the 'window'. As well as frights, there are a couple of well done gruesome moments which the G-hounds will love. In fact it reminded me of the time I interviewed Dara Davey for the site and in response to my question about 15 being graphic, she quite correctly pointed about that the film wasnt at all graphic....its just made in such a way you could easily convince yourself that it was (if that makes any sense!). The Devil Knows His Own however most certainly does have its share of grue towards the end which may just have you crossing your legs and covering your eyes.
The film features Dara Davey (also co producer) as Jessica Ray, a woman married to the beautiful Lacey Middleton (Natasha Timpani who just BLEW me away in her role in 15) who is seeing a therapist, which audiences are let in on during the opening scenes. It appears that the two woman are not succeeding in their attempts to have a baby which leads to a confession from Jessica that there is very good reason as to why she cannot carry a baby herself. I don't want to give much of that away than I have because the film is very much about the childhood of both Jessica and her brother Ethan Ray (Patrick D. Green) and the horrors they endured at a young age. After learning of the death of their grandmother, Jessica, Ethan, Lacey along with Ethans girlfriend Melanie return to the siblings childhood home which incidentally has been left to Jessica as an inheritance. Unfortunately terrors of the past are going to become the horrors of the present and soon all manner of unsettling and macabre events start to occur.
The thing I loved most about this movie was its structuring as a horror/mystery. You are given just enough information about some of the things that happened to Jessica and Ethan as children, but the rest you are going to have to find out as you go along as the past is resurrected. I am honestly not ashamed to admit that there several 'holy fucking shit!' moments which made my horror loving little heart jump into my throat. Again I dont want to spoil anything so all I will say is look out for the shower scene, the 'smiling man' and the 'window'. As well as frights, there are a couple of well done gruesome moments which the G-hounds will love. In fact it reminded me of the time I interviewed Dara Davey for the site and in response to my question about 15 being graphic, she quite correctly pointed about that the film wasnt at all graphic....its just made in such a way you could easily convince yourself that it was (if that makes any sense!). The Devil Knows His Own however most certainly does have its share of grue towards the end which may just have you crossing your legs and covering your eyes.
The cast were all exceptional - not one poor performance, with the core cast smashing it. Dara Davey and Patrick D. Green both portray damaged people with just the right amount of emotion - you feel horribly sorry for then but also fall in love with their characters in their own right. I can't say enough how fantastic these two are in their lead roles, particularly as the film hits its final act. Natasha Timpani and Alicia Rose also turn in great performances as the sympathetic partners to Jessica and Ethan with both of them having a meaty story of their own woven into the plot. Eileen Dietz (The Exorcist and Exorcist II: The Heretic) also makes several appearances as the deceased - and really quite terrifying - grandmother of Jessica and Ethan.
One additional point I wanted to make was that I was so so pleased to see a gay relationship written as loving and natural rather than gratuitous. All too often you get token lesbians in horror films who are there simply for tittilation, so it was extremely refreshing to see Jessica and Lacey's relationship as something that just is what it is.
The film is sheer brilliance in terms of scares and emotionally enticing characters. I liked 15 because it was an extremely well made and acted film that challenged my ability to see a film through to end. However I LOVED The Devil Knows His Own because I just cannot wait to see it again! I genuinely hope that this film slays at festivals. Please check out the official Gravestone Entertainment website along with the Facebook page for The Devil Knows His Own. This is one you will want to check out!
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