Part “Get Out” and part “Jennifer’s Body”, the indie horror “SUCCUBUS” is sexy and atmospheric, with ample style and solid effects.
“Star-crossed” is defined as a person or plan thwarted by bad luck. However, Chris is on the Star-Crossed dating app to find love and comfort during his separation from his wife, Sharon. And that is exactly where he meets Adra, a mysterious and seductive woman who is dead set on dragging him straight to hell with her.
J. Daniel Hanna’s film SUCCUBUS immediately caught my attention. A succubus is best defined as a demon or supernatural entity appearing to seduce men in dreams. Modern depictions often portray a succubus as a beautiful seductress or enchantress. In most folklore, a succubus harms the man she is having sex with through the deterioration of their health to gain power.
The film alternates between regular situational filming and found footage, which helps explain the movie’s beginning without the characters acting out everything and spelling it out. Chris and Sharon are separated, and Chris’s friend Eddie encourages him to put himself out there.
The beginning is pretty fast-paced, as we learn very quickly about the separation, the child they have together, and Chris’s mindset about the divorce.
A lot of women, including myself, have met someone like Chris before and maybe even dated someone like him. He is nerdy, average, and generally just thinking with his lower appendage. He begins chatting with Adra on the Star-Crossed app and immediately objectifies her and treats her like a therapist. No one likes a partner who continuously talks about their ex, especially when the breakup is fresh, and the male is just looking for a rebound.
Eddie is noted as a character with a cockeyed moral compass. He has gotten divorced and is the immature force pushing Chris towards Adra. “Dudes don’t get murdered on dating apps,” he tells Chris, “they get blackmailed.”
This is some serious foreshadowing for what is yet to come.
Eddie continues to be a source of bad choices when he hacks Chris’s Star-Crossed account and gets Adra’s address, saying she doesn’t have to do anything she doesn’t want to, but he decides to just show up at her house and see what happens.
Ron Pearlman plays Professor Orion, who—as Chris discovers through a quick Google search—was fired from his job as a professor due to a sexual harassment case.
This topic is never touched on, but it gives Chris reason to think that maybe this is a stalker watching Adra. Orion’s character is never really explained, and his motives are unclear. With a one-hour, 45-minute runtime, I would expect to learn a little more about him since his actions greatly affect all of the characters in the movie.
While Pearlman’s character feels incomplete, he unsurprisingly gives a great performance.
Sharon says in a drunken video call with Chris at the beginning of the movie that she doesn’t know if they can fall in love again, which would lead me to believe that there was something salvageable about the relationship. So why is Chris on dating apps in the first place? A separation means something different to everyone, but she makes it seem like she wants to reconcile to an extent and even shows up later in the film to talk to Chris.
When Adra is introduced, she is reminiscent of a bot—short, sweet answers to questions and rushing into things quickly. Chris takes the bait and immediately starts sharing very personal information about his life while she shows him her body adorned with white lace lingerie.
At this point, I was already rooting for Chris’s downfall.
He doesn’t know what he wants at all; women can relate to the frustration of being with a man who doesn’t know what he wants.
The main issue I have with this movie is the title. I think “Succubus” gives away the ending, which is a shame because this film is a fun little supernatural romp and has a lot of potential to be more mysterious with Adra’s character.
However, the practical effects and even the CGI are solid in this film, and the cinematography is direct and haunting as if someone is always watching. It has a great atmosphere and a sexy tone, even including a nod to Eli Roth’s HOSTEL 2. The gore is warranted and believable.
The ending is the most pristine part of this film. I won’t give it away, but it is worth a watch just for the last 10 minutes.
This film has its flaws, but the pros greatly outweigh the cons, making it an easy recommendation.
Overall Rating (Out of 5 Butterflies): 3.5
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