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Cast: Shari Shattuck, Tony Todd, Bill Oberst Jr., Eric Etebari, Jennifer Lyons, Jane Park Smith
The Devil comes out to take his promised due when Miriam Jones (Shari Shattuck), a schizophrenic woman is pushed over the edge by her husband’s (Eric Etebari) elicit affairs and her hallucinations become an insane reality, an exorcism of the mind.
After her husband cheats on her Miriam goes to Venice to get away and try and refocus. She is also having a hard time getting over a miscarriage she had and she also suffers from schizophrenia. After returning and reuniting with her husband Gabriel things begin looking up but it is not long before Miriam starts hearing and seeing strange things, is she being possessed by the devil or is her fragile mind playing tricks on her. After her husband disappears or leaves the hallucinations get even worse. Neighbors still appearing at her door, they are friendly at first but once Miriam doesn't "invite" them in they show their true colors.
Miriam's descent into hell only continues to get worse and you begin to wonder is this all real or is it because she decided to stop taking or medicine? "Scream at the Devil" was an interesting and engaging horror/thriller that gets your attention right from the start and it holds it all the way to the end because it keeps you guessing as to what is real and what isn't. Normally you might believe what Miriam is seeing is actually real but since her mental state is so fragile you think that her mind might be playing tricks on her and the audience as well.
I didn't love the film but I did like it, for some people it might become a bit repetitive after a while because Miriam seems to go from one hallucination to another but if you stick with it you will be rewarded in the end when it all comes together. One of the best things about the film was the cast, Shari Shattuck is amazing as the tortured Miriam and Eric Etebari is impressive as well as her husband Gabriel who cannot handle her sickness and just wishes she would stay on her meds. The supporting cast did a great job as well including Tony Todd who shows up later in the film as a detective who gets called to the house.
Production wise the film looks and sounds great and the effects work very well even though they are simple. "Scream at the Devil" is a horror film that offers a little different take on the genre and for the most part it succeeds in what it sets out to do. The film definitely gets better as it moves a long and I enjoyed the ending. It also sets itself up for a sequel which I would like to see because there is a lot of potential here and a second film could really take the film in a whole different direction while still keeping to the theme of Miriam being sick. The film is available now on DVD and it will be on Redbox May 31, 2016 so be sure to check it out.
Released by Green Apple Entertainment
** 3/4 Out Of *****