[Video review above and written review below.]
As far as familiar demonic possession tales go, Bury the Devil manages to serve up enough tension and make effective enough use of the ‘one-shot’ device to rise above mere gimmickry.
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Unfolding in real time, the film takes us into the house of elderly dementia patient Evelyn (Dawn Ford) and the nurse, Julia (Emmanuelle Lussier Martinez), who has arrived to take care of her for the night. It doesn’t take long before it becomes very clear that things with Evelyn aren’t right, and it’s more than a decline in her mental state that’s at play.
It’s easy to see and appreciate the ambition that director and co-writer Adam O’Brien (Mom) has with Bury the Devil, which is planned as the first chapter in a trilogy. The calling card here is a ‘oner’-style approach and a taut scenario that aims to make the most of its one location and real-time format. Considering we’re not looking at a big-budget studio production, it’s a commendable effort.
The one-take angle works, for the most part, keeping the straightforward plot moving while providing a few showy sequences. The limitations here are occasionally evident, however. The occasional awkward camera movement or shake as the camera moves up and down the stairs, for example, proved distracting and took me out of the moment. And a few bumpy performances, which can partly be the cost of having a limited number of long takes to work with, don’t help things either.
Nevertheless, there’s enough here to make it a worthwhile watch for those after a mostly taut horror film, even if the film could have used a few more scares and memorable sequences to give it a bit more flair. And at a lean 85 minutes, Bury the Devil gets in, does what it needs to do and gets out.
