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Devil's Workshop
By Jeffrey M. Anderson,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
So-so horror has some humor, also language, sex, violence.
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Devil's Workshop
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What's the Story?
In DEVIL'S WORKSHOP, Clayton (Timothy Granaderos) has been a struggling actor for 15 years without making much headway. He shares an acting class with the obnoxious, overconfident Donald (Emile Hirsch), and they're both up for a role as a demonologist in a low-budget movie. With the weekend to prepare for their Monday-morning callback, Donald starts partying with two other acting students, Nikki (Sarah Coffey) and Petra (Brooke Ramirez), while Clayton enlists the aid of a real demonologist, Eliza (Radha Mitchell), from whom he hopes to glean helpful information. But Eliza wants Clayton to stay the weekend so that she can perform a ritual that will cleanse him of his self-doubt. Unfortunately, the preparations for the ritual, involving goat's blood and a knife, are beginning to look a little less than ideal.
Is It Any Good?
This lightweight, semi-comedic horror movie starts interestingly enough and has some unexpected moments, but its final stretch feels like a tasteless prank, cheapening the impact of the whole. As soon as Devil's Workshop begins, viewers identify with the insecure, misfit Clayton and root for him to succeed. Granaderos plays him with a nice combination of insecurity and cluelessness. Hirsch, who's fond of overacting in movies like Dig, gets to do his stuff again here, and it works, given that he's actually playing an over-actor. He's a perfect villain.
Writer-director Chris von Hoffmann -- who made the "Ephebiphobia" segment in Phobias -- splits the movie into two neat sections: Donald partying, and Clayton trying to tackle his inner demons. They're perfect thematic and visual opposites, and von Hoffmann uses them for character-building as well as bits of humor. The cast is fully committed, from Granaderos making actor-y faces in the mirror to Mitchell's measured, soft-spoken tones that mesmerize. And even though her role is small, Sarah Coffey has a gleefully tense moment that will throw most viewers off-balance. It's difficult to explain how everything goes wrong in Devil's Workshop without giving away the ending, but it leaves you with the notion that this was all a big joke and that none of it ever mattered. That could spark a sense of betrayal and/or a frustrating feeling that you've wasted your time.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Devil's Workshop'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 horror movies? Why do people sometimes like to be scared?
How are drinking, smoking, and drug use portrayed? Are they glamorized? Are there consequences? Why does that matter?
Is Eliza right about the internet breeding "contradiction and insecurity" in people? Why, or why not?
Do you think it would be interesting to be an actor? What are the upsides and downsides to this career path?
Movie Details
- In theaters: September 30, 2022
- On DVD or streaming: September 30, 2022
- Cast: Timothy Granaderos , Radha Mitchell , Emile Hirsch
- Director: Chris von Hoffmann
- Inclusion Information: Asian actors, Multiracial actors, Female actors
- Studio: Lionsgate
- Genre: Horror
- Topics: Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- Run time: 86 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- MPAA explanation: violent content, language throughout, drug use, some sexual material and nudity
- Last updated: April 15, 2023
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