An intriguing setup and glossy shell quickly gives way to arguably one of the worst films offered in the pandemic era. While there are cheaper, uglier, and worse written offerings this year, what makes this film so egregiously bad is the absolutely squandered potential, talent and production values. Director Neil Blomkamp presents a rapid succession of high-concept horror/scifi ideas each of which might have made a superior film. Instead this movie feels overstuffed and nonsensical, quickly falling back upon cliches of cliches, wretched writing and cheap ineffectual jump scares. Each and every time the film approaches a moment of intrigue, interest, or payoff, everything cuts away and major action occurs offscreen, leaving the viewer baffled and questioning the director’s mental faculties. To say this is garbage is an insult to legions of dumpster divers, who might be able to extract value from garbage. Instead this is a frustratingly disappointing mess and a pale echo of the greatness Blomkamp might have once offered as a director.
Demonic (2021)