Review of ‘Realm of Shadows’: Occasionally engrossing but unevenly spooky cult flick
A series of dark fantansy narratives involving a cult, its religious adversaries and manipulated individuals, couples and families.
Review of ‘Realm of Shadows’: Occasionally engrossing but unevenly spooky cult flick
Cast: Tony Todd, Erika Monet, Jimmy Drain, Leah Saxon, Tony Tucci, Emily Absher, Luba Bocian, Caustic Scifidelic, Lauren Mayhew, Mara Davala, Mark Bilker, Gregg Stone, Jodi Lynn Thomas, Brittany Murata, Mike Apple, C J Dunning, “Mohawk” Bob Bagnall, Heather Tocquigny, Richard Tyson, Harley Wallen, Vernon Wells, Michael S. Rodriguqez, Mel Novak
Critic’s Rating: 3 Stars out of 5
Director: Jimmy Drain
Duration: 1 hour, 25 minutes
Genre: Mystery, Horror, Fantasy
Language: English
Release: 2024
What’s it about?
A series of dark fantansy narratives involving a cult, its religious adversaries and manipulated individuals, couples and families.
Review:
Viewers who fancy tales of the occult, paranormal activity, demonic possessions and the supernatural might be mildly interested in this decidedly weird horror/mystery movie. Here’s a flick that unfolds across a handful of vignettes that are narrated in an ambiguous and surreal fashion, leaving the viewers alternating between confusion and wonder. However, there are also interludes that warrant some amount of boredom and frustration. Realm of Shadows veers away from the conventional shocker with its dearth of obvious jolts and shudders. But its unusual story-telling, interjections of fantasy and bombardment of vivid characters make it quite watchable.
The movie opens by introducing us to a ladies’ cult who call themselves the Sisters of the Moon. Led by the charismatic Nalum (Erika Monet), this group vies with upright Christian priests for the possession of a powerful artefact known as the “Dagger of Destiny”. The former party tries to invoke the supernatural in its quest for obtaining the sacred item while the latter attempts to throw a spanner in the works. In this game of power, the lady “witches” envision victories in their mostly misandrist agenda. Yes, ordinary
mortal men are to be their main targets. One is left wondering though, whether these envisaged scenarios are real or conjured.
The first such “vision” introduces us to a young man called Malick (Jimmy Drain) who finds himself attracted to three different women. The first is Donna (Leah Saxon) who is initially picked up by a guy named Hicks (Tony Tucci) at a bar; the second is the lady bartender; and the third is a mysterious but comely woman whom Malick goes on to settle in with. But is this union a blessing or a curse? Next, the audience is drawn into a seemingly blissful man-woman relationship which falls under the shadow of the intervening witches. The intruders use their smarts to bring about a twist to the tale.
Third in the series of visions, we see Malick again - in the new avatar of a professor named Daniel Kimmer, who bears a dubious past. His caring wife Jamie (Emily Absher) is not what she seems to be and she along with a conniving student named Starr (Luba Bocian) are out for blood... when help arrives from an unexpected source. Tale Number Four shows us Peggy (Ashe Medina,) whom the witches teach how to dance in order for her to then “put the moves” on a famous choreographer named Jon Beedham (Caustic Scifidelic). What follows, is a young mother (Lauren Mayhew) who is troubled by noises during the night, which her unfazed little girl (Mara Davala) claims are a man tackling the Boogie Man. The most enigmatic vision is left for the last when an intrepid priest (Tony Todd) encounters a masked man wielding a pointy weapon.
Ouija boards, voodoo dolls, daggers, human hair, personal effects, paranormal occurrences and shadowy people all figure in this movie. But the bizarre, explicable and inconclusive ending might not satisfy most viewers. Meanwhile, the film’s odd themes, strange characters, misguiding narratives and surrealism might induce movie buffs to recall David Lynch films like Lost Highway (1997) and Mulholland Drive (2001). But ultimately, Realm of Shadows doesn’t serve up enough substance or revelation to warrant a place on the same shelf as those flicks. Still, there is an adequate amount here to cause momentary frowns, gasps and raised eye-brows. All in all, this horror flick is ccasionally engrossing but unevenly spooky.
