Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Found-footage horror movie is gory and gross.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 18+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Devil's Due
What's the Story?
On the eve of his wedding to Samantha (Allison Miller), Zach (Zach Gilford) decides he wants to document everything about their lives together on video. Their wedding goes beautifully, and they have a nice time on their honeymoon in Santo Domingo, except for that one night with the weird cab driver that took them to that underground nightclub, where they drank too much and woke up back in their hotel room. Not long after returning, Samantha realizes she's pregnant. But strange things begin to happen. Their doctor suddenly disappears, and vegetarian Samantha develops a craving for raw meat. Plus she begins carving something on the nursery floor. What happened that night in Santo Domingo?
Is It Any Good?
As soon as DEVIL'S DUE begins with the typical, twitchy, flickering credit sequence, it reveals that it has not a single fresh idea, and indeed it copies virtually every moment from better movies. If it hadn't been a "found footage" movie, it might have generated some sympathy with the likeable characters, but instead it burns a great deal of energy trying to justify the characters holding a camera at every waking moment. But even then, Devil's Time has to contend with the queen mother of all "demon baby" movies, Rosemary's Baby, and it fails miserably. The Zach character is genuinely excited about the baby, but he's not very smart and he misses all the clues. If he had been a little more wary, it could have created some tension. And Samantha is more or less a victim, unable to communicate effectively about what's going on and whether or not she's frightened. As it stands, it feels like hardly anything actually does happen. This is one for the diaper pail.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the appeal of this kind of "found footage" horror film. What makes it scary, or not scary? How does it compare to other kinds of films?
How bloody or gory is the film compared to other horror movies? Would it have worked with less blood and gore? What is the appeal of the genre?
Movie Details
- In theaters : January 17, 2014
- On DVD or streaming : April 29, 2014
- Cast : Aimee Carrero , Allison Miller , Zach Gilford
- Directors : Matt Bettinelli-Olpin , Tyler Gillett
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Latino Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
- Genre : Horror
- Run time : 89 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : language and some bloody images
- Last updated : July 18, 2022
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