Diabolic is directed by Daniel J. Phillips and the cast includes Elizabeth Cullen, John Harlan Kim, Mia Challis, Terence Crawford, Genevieve Moor and Robin Goldsworthy.
My Thoughts on Diabolic
Diabolic has an opening scene that doesn’t apologize for its brutality, as it begins with a baptism among a group of fundamentalist Mormons, and Elise, the main character, is plunged under the water as the name “Larue” is spoken.
Then come some images - ghostly fingers pressing against her mouth and a black sludge that emerges in a way that feels ceremonial - a strong opening that lets you know the movie is going straight in, but does the rest of the movie maintain that intensity?
Well, no, not really.
Then come some images - ghostly fingers pressing against her mouth and a black sludge that emerges in a way that feels ceremonial - a strong opening that lets you know the movie is going straight in, but does the rest of the movie maintain that intensity?
Well, no, not really.
Exile and Blackouts
Years later, we find Elise cut off from her faith, living in what I suppose could be called exile with her boyfriend, where she’s plagued by blackouts, missing time, and the creeping sense that reality might be slipping away.
We get a slow accumulation of unease - small, almost imperceptible moments that make you watch Elise with more attention, wondering what’s real and what isn’t - which could have been good and interesting if the pacing wasn't a problem, as the film simmers for so long that by the time it escalates into something more, it feels like the initial threat has already lost some of its punch.
We get a slow accumulation of unease - small, almost imperceptible moments that make you watch Elise with more attention, wondering what’s real and what isn’t - which could have been good and interesting if the pacing wasn't a problem, as the film simmers for so long that by the time it escalates into something more, it feels like the initial threat has already lost some of its punch.
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Return to the Baptism House
The story itself revolves around Elise returning to the “baptism house,” the place where her trauma began, a classic horror setup of course - confront the source of your fear to understand it - and it’s handled with a patient hand here, a bit too patient thought for me.
You do get a constant yet subtle layering of dread, but sometimes it feels like the film’s ambition outstrips its execution, times when the waiting felt too excessive, even for me, and I would have liked more of what the opening delivered too, as some of the genuinely unsettling imagery from that never fully reappears or evolves - there are flashes of something bolder, darker, but they are fleeting.
But the third act does finally deliver a surge, if you make it that far, but it’s over almost as soon as it begins, which was frustrating, as the moments that might have carried the film more just arrive late and then vanish.
You do get a constant yet subtle layering of dread, but sometimes it feels like the film’s ambition outstrips its execution, times when the waiting felt too excessive, even for me, and I would have liked more of what the opening delivered too, as some of the genuinely unsettling imagery from that never fully reappears or evolves - there are flashes of something bolder, darker, but they are fleeting.
But the third act does finally deliver a surge, if you make it that far, but it’s over almost as soon as it begins, which was frustrating, as the moments that might have carried the film more just arrive late and then vanish.
Religious Elements
I also have mixed feelings about the religious elements, as the film clearly engages with extremism, and I think it does so in a way that’s fairly effective at times, because there’s an atmosphere of control and repression at play.
The problem is you never really feel fully drawn into the internal logic of the cult, as some of the mythology around the name “Larue” and the baptism rituals is hinted at but not fully explored, and I thought it would have been interesting to see more of how these beliefs shaped the characters’ psychology.
The problem is you never really feel fully drawn into the internal logic of the cult, as some of the mythology around the name “Larue” and the baptism rituals is hinted at but not fully explored, and I thought it would have been interesting to see more of how these beliefs shaped the characters’ psychology.
Final Thoughts
With that all said, I still didn't mind it I suppose, as it’s incredibly precise, calculated, and at times, the restraint does work, but I do think it was too much at times as well, as the restraint can also feel like hesitation, like the film is being pulled back, leaving the tension hanging instead of letting it break.
I alsi feel a certain admiration for the film’s craftsmanship, but also a little frustration - it is competent, moody, well-acted, and occasionally genuinely disturbing, yet it refuses to dive all the way into the dark it promises, and while that caution is part of its character, it could have done a bit more as well.
Diabolic just ends up being a curious experience - a deliberate film, occasionally brave, and is filled with small, effective touches, but it also could have gone that little bit further.
I alsi feel a certain admiration for the film’s craftsmanship, but also a little frustration - it is competent, moody, well-acted, and occasionally genuinely disturbing, yet it refuses to dive all the way into the dark it promises, and while that caution is part of its character, it could have done a bit more as well.
Diabolic just ends up being a curious experience - a deliberate film, occasionally brave, and is filled with small, effective touches, but it also could have gone that little bit further.
[Diabolic on IMDb]