Movie Review The Black Demon (2023)
Black Devils , 2023
Directed by Adrian Grunberg.
With Josh Lucas, Fernando Urejola, Julio Cedillo, Venus Ariel, Carlos Salarsano, Jorge A. Jimenez, with Raul Mendez and Hector Jimenez.
Syntax
Paul Sturges Zeitman's happy family vacation turns into a nightmare when they encounter a ferocious megalodon shark that will stop at nothing to protect its territory.
Whether director Adrian Grunberg wants to make a film about sharks, a supernatural thriller about people trapped in the ocean, an environmental story based on the greed of an oil company, a crash course in the myth of the Aztec water god, or a family drama with a black devil . He probably didn't know it, and neither did screenwriter Boyce Escher (based on a Carlos Cisco story). One thing's for sure: the budget doesn't allow for a full movie about a shark attack at a busted gas station, which gets cut off, tied to executive injuries and rising family tensions on the Megalodon.
Watching Black Demon is not an easy task, because even though sharks are important to the narrative and why the characters get stuck in dangerous situations, the filmmakers were more concerned with raising awareness about water pollution and extreme neglect. Oil company... manager. Paul Sturges (the all-tough Josh Lucas, who delivers his most powerful speeches as if he's doing a fight promo) is a family man who uses an Oriole compression device investigation to find his wife Ince (Fernando Urrejola) and kids Tommy. and Audrey Carlos). Salazarano and Venus Ariel) in Baja for the holidays.
From the start, it seems out of place, as the area appears to be mostly abandoned by the locals, and no matter how much extra cash you lose, there's no convenience to shipping floors by boat (the solution to every problem). rich ruler). His wife and children are left behind, and Tommy investigates the Aztec god Tialoc and how his mythology is related to the curse of rainwater. Meanwhile, several men chase Ines and Audrey in comical sequence, forcing them to run and commandeer the boat to talk to Paul, who is now joined by Chato and the other Juniors (Julio Cesar Cedillo and Jorge). .)
After the first brief disaster scene that does its best to hide the shark's bad CGI (why make characters think when you can't actually see sharks as far as cinema goes?), Black Devil is incredibly chatty and deeply caught up in corporate politics. , environmental protection claims, and when a family feud literally comes out of nowhere in the storyline, midway through, Audrey casually mentions that my mom and dad fight a lot. Not only is there another unconvincing revelation about Paul's role in a morally bankrupt oil business, but the filmmakers turn the story into too much of a lesson for rich white people. They are of no help in cases of underperforming and often unreasonably aggressive children.
None of this is that Black Demon is a horror film because of its warped narrative, rather that the filmmakers failed to bring this idea and story to life. Everything from sharks to Aztec mythology and human drama seem to be crammed into local history, even if the interplay of the elements isn't considered. And nothing worth enduring the 85 minutes of overly dramatic ending is more than enjoyable. The message is valuable, but it needs to be wrapped up in the engaging or entertaining experience that Black Demon is trying to convey.
Flash Legends Rating - Movie: ★ / Movie: ★ ★
Robert Coyder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics' Choice Association. He is also the review editor of The Flying Legend. Stay tuned here for new reviews, follow me on Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com.
