Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Inept, low-budget horror tale has monster, blood, gore.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
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Devilreaux
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In DEVILREAUX, Lexi (Monaye Moyes) winds up in the hospital, where she claims that she and her friends were attacked by a being known as Devilreaux -- and only she has survived. Lt. Bobbie Briggs (Krista Grotte Saxon) takes Lexi's statement and then has dinner with Peter Turner (Jon Briddell), who explains that Devilreaux is real and that he's after everyone in Peter's bloodline. In flashback, we meet brutal White enslaver Mr. Michaels (Dennis W. Hall), who has raped and impregnated a Black woman named Sally (Meberate Abajian) and causes the death of her husband, Leonard (Tony Todd). Years later, Sally and Leonard's grown son, Baron (Vincent M. Ward), is killed by White men for speaking to a White woman. With magical help, Baron becomes Devilreaux and vows revenge, using the shovel that he was killed with. Back in the present, Lexi tells her story as Devilreaux stalks and kills her friends in a remote house after they play a "game" that reawakens the demon. It's up to Bobbie and Lexi's boyfriend, Dylan (Kole Benfield), to investigate the scene of the crime and try to uncover the mystery of the monster.
Is It Any Good?
Suffering mightily from its small budget, questionable performances, odd dialogue exchanges, and a general lack of suspense or direction, this supposed horror movie is laughable but also mostly dull. Devilreaux confuses right away with its wordy, rambling description of just what a "Devilreaux" is -- but just wait, because there's a long, boring flashback sequence coming to help explain things further. Some scenes are just bizarre, such as Lt. Briggs subjecting Lexi to a lie detector test while she's in her hospital bed. Characters often say the same things or ask the same questions over and over, for no reason; other times, they just appear to be filling time with idle chitchat. And, in general, the movie's chintzy look and awkward editing make things feel overwhelmingly amateurish. It's likely that the filmmakers were going for something in the vein of Candyman, given that they "borrowed" actor Tony Todd and some of that franchise's ideas (and then thank Clive Barker in the closing credits as an "inspiration"). But whether you consider this stealing or creative reuse, Devilreaux falls short.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Devilreaux's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?
Is the movie scary? What's the appeal of scary movies? Why do people sometimes like to be scared?
Devilreaux seems to be mostly about revenge. What's the nature of revenge? Can it be satisfying? Why? Can it ever truly solve a problem?
Would you ever play a scary game whose outcome is said to be something sinister? Why would someone play such a game?
Movie Details
- In theaters : June 30, 2023
- On DVD or streaming : June 30, 2023
- Cast : Krista Grotte Saxon , Monaye Moyes , Tony Todd
- Director : Thomas J. Churchill
- Inclusion Information : Black Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Lionsgate
- Genre : Horror
- Topics : Fantasy
- Run time : 93 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : bloody violence
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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