Likable leads and unsettling effects make the indie horror entry “Demon Behind the Glass” entertaining enough to recommend.
“Demons are the patron saints of second chances.”
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Are you craving an indie horror offering that includes: a.) coven-bordering-on-cult shenanigans, b.) possession, and/or c.) messy anti-heroes?
If you selected one or d.) all of the above, Demon Behind the Glass deserves a spot on your watch list.
Demon Behind the Glass is a sort of redemption story for our protagonist, journalist Jonathan Birdsall (Adam Holley). Holley’s approach to our exiled journalist frontman gives scrappy salesman from Long Island vibes, which is a compliment in this context. Now, I watched this film before the US election. If I watched it today, I might be a little more resistant to being charmed by the charisma of a my-middle-finger-is-my-only-finger fuck it attitude and flat sense of humor white guy who makes me like him enough to forgive-ish his questionable ethics and path to success.
(Sigh. I’m sorry. It’s top of mind.)
Birdsall connects early on with struggling local and mom-to-be Debra Banks (Jessica Nogaret). Together, they start to unpack the strange happenings in town resulting from a coven’s attempt to summon a demon. Nogaret also offers a respectable performance, given the wobbly writing she had to work with. Golf claps for her efforts to make the best of a sparsely articulated role.
Building on the commendable central acting performances, Demon Behind the Glass possesses (wink) a lot of other likable elements and qualities.
I always offer flowers and sincere appreciation to filmmakers on a shoestring budget who effectively wield simple, supernatural effects. Demon Behind the Glass does this consistently (with the exception of a wildly ridiculous choice at the very end—which split me 50/50 between disappointment and amusement; ultimately, I’m choosing to land at acceptance).
Joshua Recene (writer/director) and Michael Yammine (cinematographer) leveraged a variety of set, framing, and blocking choices to their advantage. A fair amount of the action is set in a tight little bathroom, where everything is already too close for comfort. (Mirror play, bloody sinks, and shower chaos, huzzah!) Beyond the effective bathroom sequences, there are some eerie low angles and wide shots that had me frantically searching for clues about the looming danger.
Speaking of danger, we horror-lovers have a pretty high tolerance for all things gruesome. However, we all have a “soft spot.” You know, that one thing that makes the hairs stand up just right or causes the gag reflex to get a hitch in its giddy-up. Mine? It’s a very specific device.
My ick factor goes through the stratosphere when there is a beefy “tether” to connect monsters with humans. I’m talking about anything detailing the Facehugger proboscis. The Slither impregnation scene.
To topple my threshold, it’s gotta be that “you don’t stand a chance” all-consuming connector.
If you share this sensitivity, Demon Behind the Glass offers a demon-to-human transfer mechanism that warrants a heads-up. While it’s not quite at Michael Rooker’s chest tentacle level ick, it still elicited an audible, “Not today, Satan,” from me.
Overall, Demon Behind the Glass is worth the watch and can be added to the list of indie horror films you need to draw upon to demonstrate that spooky vibes don’t require deep pockets.
Overall Rating (Out of 5 Butterflies): 3
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