This is not going to go as you think. I know, that’s a bold statement. We have a serial killer on the run who has decided to seek refuge where nobody else would dare to tread. He’s driving right into a famously haunted forest called Devil’s Den. The story will not be about him.
Director Justin P. Lange brings us the story of two characters who have lost their way in The Dark. One is the demon zombie that haunts her home and the surroundings. She’s a little girl named Mina (Nadia Alexander). Something terribly dark happened in her past and she was left dead, angry and scornful. She tears and consumes the flesh of the living.
She meets Alex (Toby Nichols), a little boy who has been disfigured, blind and kidnapped. Mina feels protective about Alex, although she keeps trying to reject her own humanity. As the two form an unlikely friendship, the world around them seems a little less dark. Mina will have to recall her past while Alex will have to face his own fears, implanted in his mind by his kidnapper.
We eventually discover Mina’s tragic past. The movie pulls no punches in giving us the horrific details of an abused childhood. Mina literally became cursed by them. She’s got a chance as she begrudgingly cares about Alex. It is only left for you to watch and discover if they can leave Devil’s Den and their own monsters behind.
Highly recommended. Fans of horror films will also find tragedy, revenge and perhaps a little redemption along the way. The movie never turns into a light hearted romp through the forest, but you’re pulling for these characters to finally make it out of their respective cursed lives. In the end, as much as we may enjoy the dark we should be grateful for the hint of light.
That will do for now.
Never Think Impossible 