With nearly a decade under its belt, Shudder has become a great home for independent and international horror titles, with everything from the Hell House LLC and V/H/S franchises to H.P. Lovecraft adaptations Suitable Flesh and Color Out of Space. In
The Demon Disorder
, the streaming service looks to continue its overall winning streak, but despite some promising elements, the Australian-made horror movie can never quite find the right rhythm to be thoroughly haunting or emotionally affecting from start to finish.
Hailing from debuting co-writer/director Steven Boyle, best known for his makeup and special effects work on everything from Dylan O’Brien’s Love and Monsters to Ethan Hawke’s Predestination, The Demon Disorder centers on Graham, Jake and Phillip, three brothers who become estranged following the death of their father due to mysterious circumstances. When strange occurrences begin happening on their family farm, the brothers must confront the trauma of their past, as well as a more sinister presence lurking.
The Demon Disorder’s Story Has A Familiar Start & Ends Blandly
The plot ultimately feels too similar to another Shudder title
Starting off as an attempt at meaningful family drama, one of The Demon Disorder‘s biggest flaws is that it’s ultimately too familiar for the family horror subgenre. The concept of siblings grappling with the death of a parent is one many films have explored before, particularly when that death is drenched in a mystery that may or may not be supernatural in nature. One of the more notable films it reminded me of is fellow Shudder title, Bryan Bertino’s The Dark and the Wicked, in which two siblings attempt to care for their ailing father after their mother’s suicide.
Even once the movie elects to deal away with its ambiguity and get right to its demonic horror, The Demon Disorder still feels largely too familiar and predictable.
Frequently flashing back to their father’s worsening condition, The Demon Disorder tries to present the possibility that he was simply mentally ill. This possibility is upended at every turn, though, with clear flashes of his being possessed. Whether it’s biting the head off of chickens or roaring in demonic fashion, Boyle and co-writer Toby Osborne can never quite land on the balance of whether to present a gradual buildup to its horror elements, or jump right in to create a terrifying atmosphere.
Even once the movie elects to deal away with its ambiguity and get right to its demonic horror, The Demon Disorder is largely too predictable. Having kept its focus on four characters for nearly the entirety of its runtime, the introduction of other characters becomes an obvious setup for a body count in the third act. Meanwhile, the gradual shift to a demon-on-the-loose formula raises some issues of believability and the movie’s ending leaves far too many questions unanswered.
The Demon Disorder’s Practical Effects Are Appropriately Gruesome
Boyle’s past in effects and prosthetics pays off tenfold
While the story may underwhelm, The Demon Disorder shines in its use of practical effects. Even as he went to work on such blockbuster features as Peter Jackson’s King Kong and George Lucas’ Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones, Boyle has clearly had an affection for monstrous creatures and bringing them to life on screen. Before The Demon Disorder, he also spotlighted this in a variety of horror movies, including the cult classic Black Sheep and Daybreakers.
Birthed out of the armpit of a possessed person, its creation feels like the most haunting thing since the Alien franchise’s chestbuster sequences
Coming into The Demon Disorder, Boyle makes thoroughly effective use of practical effects to bring the demon and the various stages of possession to life. The subtle blend of prosthetics and viscous liquids for those possessed adds a real visceral nature to their transformations. The depiction of a variety of animal carcasses that have fallen victim to those possessed also makes for some appropriately haunting imagery, keeping the gory tone of the movie high.
The other effect that is truly chilling to watch is the actual arrival of the demon. Birthed out of the armpit of a possessed person, its creation feels like the most haunting thing since the Alien franchise’s chestbuster sequences, leaving my stomach churning at the sight. It also raises the question of how exactly the character it came from survived the ordeal. When we finally get a full-on look at the creature, it may not prove as terrifying as when it was slowly transforming, but it fits into the emotional nature of the finale.
Dirk Hunter & John Noble Keep Us Gripped To The Demon Disorder
The rest of the cast deliver everything from serviceable to strong performances
The other major benefit working in the film’s favor is the performances of stars Dirk Hunter as Jake, the brother on the verge of alcoholism as he grapples with his family’s past and present hauntings, and John Noble as the trio’s late possessed father, George. Up to this point, Hunter has primarily been an Australian mainstay, and the movie feels primed to introduce him to wider audiences as he delivers a powerful mix of pain and sardonic humor amidst the terror of the story.
Noble, on the other hand, nicely pulls from his familiar wheelhouse of playing villainous or mysterious characters, whether it be Henry Parrish in Fox’s Sleepy Hollow or voicing Scarecrow in Batman: Arkham Knight. His casting does occasionally take away from the more emotional scenes between George and his sons in the film’s flashbacks as we prepare for his turn to evil, much in the way Jack Nicholson’s The Shining casting signposted Jack’s devolution. But thanks to his skillfully haunting turn in his possessed state, Noble remains a stellar choice for the role.
While Hunter and Noble may be the standout performers, that doesn’t mean the rest of the cast aren’t solid, as Christian Willis nicely captures the traumatic fear of Graham and Christian Cottier displays an interesting indifference to the haunting. But as they all lack the benefit of a powerful script to back up their performances, the movie’s gruesome set pieces and grounded cast can never quite overcome the feeling we’ve seen this story one too many times before.
The Demon Disorder begins streaming on Shudder on September 6.