I am a sucker for flash-forward sequences. Breaking Bad season 5 episode one started with a flash-forward. Ever since, I have not gotten enough of them. The new horror movie by Brainstorm Media, Bury the Devil, starts out with a flash-forward of a house that the movie takes place in, on fire. It’s not a spoiler because that is how the movie opens. We see the title sequence, and then we head back to 75 minutes before the incident. It was cool seeing that the movie goes directly to before the fire happens, instead of the usual two or three days, or even a week before. Certainly a flip of the script on movie norms. The film is about a hospice nurse, Julia, played by Emmanuelle Lussier Martinez, who is taking care of an elderly woman named Evelyn. Her ex-husband comes after her, and we are left waiting for the mystery to unravel. I must admit, as the movie continues to progress, I was waiting for someone in the movie to say, “man, this feels like a horror movie,” given how outlandish everything happening was. But, that definitely would have killed the serious tone that the movie goes for.
The movie is mainly told from Julia’s point of view, and we only switch to another character’s perspective halfway through the movie and once more at the very end. It seems like it tries to give the “fish out of water” vibe. Understandable, considering every other besides Julia’s character already has their part to play. It was a smart choice by the director to throw us into the deep end of the movie that had already established its backstory. We do not feel lost in the mix, though the backstory behind everything is a bit underwhelming. For every fresh take they have, there is still the lackluster story behind how everything works. Though, admittedly, I have a hard time suspending my disbelief when supernatural things are “explained”, so perhaps I am the wrong guy to ask on if things are well explained in this particular genre of film.
Bury the Devil is a short movie, and it both goes by quickly and takes its time establishing the story taking place in current time. There are many scenes that do not just cut every five seconds. So, while never boring, the scenes and the excellent camera work speak for themselves. In fact, I would argue that the camera is almost a character in the film, as it tracks many of Julia’s movements. The movie taking place almost exclusively within the house could get boring. However, the constant movement of the camera makes sure it does not ever become too secluded to become a snooze fest.
Dawn Ford, who plays the dementia-stricken Evelyn, does a fantastic job balancing her demonic side with her hopeless elderly side. She steals the movie in every scene she is in. Which is practically 80% of the movie. The best performance in a horror movie this year is probably going to go down as Inde Navarrette’s portrayal of Nikki in Obsession. But make no mistake, Dawn Ford turns in a great performance herself in this film.
While I thoroughly enjoyed this film, it is not without its flaws. The methods behind the madness that is Bury the Devil do not make much sense. I mean, I get that there really is not a way to explain the supernatural without someone accepting that it will not actually make sense in the real world. Even then, there really is just a lot that we as audience members are expected to just accept at face value. The movie is quite short, so there was not much time to harp on the details.
The movie was well directed. The actors did their jobs very well, which I think is a hat-off affair for both the performances and the direction that was given to ensure this movie felt realistic. The script does its job without getting too flashy. The dialogue is believable and kind of made me wonder, “what if this actually happened”? Horror can be sometimes fantastical, but this one felt like it was some sort of fever dream that could happen to someone in the real world. Which only made it all the creepier.
The budget seemed to be practically non-existent, with all due respect. It did not need a big budget and does its job delivering this story in a fascinating way. I just wish we had gotten even more violence. It is a horror movie after all.
It is not exactly a subtle movie, but it does not beat you over the head with its themes. There is not much commentary on society. Which is probably a good thing considering most movies do not allow us to turn off our brains these days. This movie shows with its runtime that it knows exactly what it is. A movie about demonic possession. Nothing less, nothing more. Quite refreshing, if you ask me. If you are looking for something to see this weekend, I would recommend this movie. It is a good time. And, while not as mindless as the Fast and Furious movies, it does not require you to do much thinking. Which, I stress again, is actually a good thing.
3 out of 5 stars.
Generally, I am not into horror. Not that I have anything against the genre; I simply just do not go out of my way to watch it. A big compliment I can give this film is that I am now inspired to watch more of this genre. That is the highest compliment I can give it. It inspires you to look into a genre that may have once been ignored. It is a very creative, low risk/high reward movie that shows that big budgets are not needed to make something entertaining. The horror genre has found new life in 2026, and I suspect we will see more quality films like this in the future.
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