I didn’t want to watch this movie. Maybe it was the exploitation of the name Tobin Bell, or in the racial Mexican platform, where the main action unfolds, the plot seemed banal, the synopsis was not impressive. Nonsense! Belzebuth is one hundred percent occult horror, with the right amount of suspense, darkness, and of course Tobin Bell.
Doubts dispelled almost immediately, because the tragedy of the life of one no longer young, and very experienced investigator poured on me, and the further I looked at the torment of the spirit of this vague husband, the more otherworldly darkness enveloped the optic nerve.
We have before us life, life in a country of vice, Mexico, a country ruled by cartels and corruption. Here suddenly starts crying in its cruelty ritualistic infanticide, there is no logic, no message, only death, the pain of parents, and darkness.
Somehow it immediately becomes clear that with positive warm moments, it is time to say goodbye, we are immediately thrown into the routine of police everyday life, where, for example, brains smeared on the wall are taken for granted. Greater emphasis is placed on the ethnicity of the main characters, amused the attitude towards Americans in the context of professional ethics - "Gringo and Africa Gringo", so on. But, behind the message about the clash of law enforcement with the forces of evil, lies the most unknown dark Something, the plot itself is somewhere near “Save Us from the Onion” with Eric Bana, only here a darker, toxic world, and less pleasant on the face, but fiercely charismatic cop. And this by the way plays into the hands, because the tape also has a detective structure of the narrative, even when evil with horns and hooves obviously puts it in doubt, with a natural ending. Heh heh.
Tobin Bell, it is impossible not to write about him, because: Tobin horror icon, and if he is involved in the film, then the main part will hide in the hall for him, well, or buy the film on the media, somewhere next to Bill Moseley, only knows how to play, (sorry Bill), Bell was finally able to get rid of the image of John Kramer. His warrior of evil spirits is such a wiggly old man from the cover of a metal band-covered with occult signs, with a shaggy beard, and speeches about the end of the world, never once pathetic and very cool character, despite the fact that, thank God, he appears not for a cameo, but for a full role. And yes, Tobin will give the undead a full dispersion, for that he is loved.
So the terrible parable about the appearance of the Prince of Darkness in this world now has a Mexican beginning, and it is frankly chic horror film. Here everything is in its place, and the most important thing: the abomination of Lucifer and his machinations are served completely in the form of abomination, with a large share of demonic pathos, which for connoisseurs of films about the machinations of Satan will be a tasty gift. Ave.
Over the past 20 years, many films have been made about demons. In most cases, demons are shown talking through people possessed by them, and this is undoubtedly the cheapest and most difficult in terms of acting. The film “Beelzebub” was pleasantly surprised by the scene of a conversation between a demon and a detective who broadcast from... you will see for yourself. In the rest, before us is an ordinary movie on a religious theme, filled with cliches and cliches.
The plot focuses on the mass murder of children. Tragedies occur first at the maternity hospital, then at school. First of all, young children are under attack. And, of course, this film, like many others, presents the paranormal as a real phenomenon, saying that demon-possessed people committed terrorist attacks. There are such “iron-concrete” arguments that do not look plausible. It's a cheap trick to show something that can't be, and pass it off as the ultimate truth. Suffice it to recall how superbly and realistically the demonic manifestations were performed in Deliver Us from the Evil One, or how terrifying and vile in Reincarnation... and how simple and banal in Beelzebub. But it can be worse, to be honest.
The detective from Mexico was played by actor Joaquin Cosio, a colorful man, his image of a stubborn and ferocious bulldog with a police badge around his neck reminded him of Detective Bill Hodges from the series Mr. Mercedes. I remember a scene where the obsessed chases a child who looks around and sees a monster like a Minotaur, saying the true essence of the killer of children. In general, the film is not so bad and lookalike, if not ...
Vatican. Who sends priests around the world to cast out the devil and fight possession? Well, of course, the Vatican. Did the filmmakers see the Pope’s palace in the form of a snake’s head and the most terrible demonic statue (which the Vatican apparently serves) behind it? Have they seen the Pope speak from the mouth of the improvised serpent of the tempter? Of course not. Propaganda has not bypassed this film, portraying ritual killings of children and school attacks as anything but what these events are likely to be. The goal is one - to cast a shadow on the wicket, hiding behind the religion and impressionability of the viewer, coupled with his little awareness.
Messiah from the 3rd world country, which is again chosen Mexico, is very similar to the plot of the last part of the Terminator (Dark Fate). Why Mexico and not Russia? Where to be born a prophet, it is in Russia or in Syria, Iraq, Yugoslavia. Why not, actually? Is there a Messiah film born in countries attacked by the collective West? There are no such films, because the audience will start asking uncomfortable questions. The Vatican doesn't need that. Maybe that's why the film takes place in Mexico.
5 out of 10
The action takes place in a seedy Mexican town steeped in crime and banditry. Half-detective Manu six years ago lost his family - his newborn baby was killed in the hospital during the massacre, and his wife committed suicide from grief. And after so many years, a new series of mass massacres in places where children are crowded: first at school, then in the pool, and finally in the Children's World. Detective Manu and a young priest from the Vatican are investigating these cases, confident that these are not just terrorist attacks, but something more global.
This is a mystical horror that clashed Christianity and Satanism in the plot, referring to the Bible in some episodes.
A multifaceted picture of content, gloomy and oppressive. It is amazing that nothing global is happening on the screen (for example: hordes of evil spirits will not climb out of the open bowels of the earth), but inside there is a constantly growing sense of anxiety that something terrible is about to happen, as if all the characters of the tape are one step from the end of the world. And this atmosphere of despair haunts the viewer to the very end, shrouding from head to toe with an aura of darkness. And towards the end begins a mystical decadence, which is able to please all people who are not indifferent to the subject of demonic possession.
The moral of this joke is this: if your friend began to verb in the afterlife and crawl on the ceiling, do not rush to call the priest, maybe he just has muscle colic.
As a result, atmospheric and gloomy horror, but most likely not for a wide audience, which will appeal to lovers of mysteries and mysteries.
7 out of 10
The film is a kind of mystical detective, associated with the arrival of 'enemy' on Earth. The enemy means the devil, well, who calls him? According to the feeling when viewing the picture resembles two similar thematic films: The end of the world with Schwarzenegger the end of the last century and more recent Rescue us from the Evil. Personally, this genre suits me and I usually watch such films with interest.
I will say right away that the main disadvantage of the film is the cast. In particular, this applies to the main role. Some old man was invited to the main role, although there could play someone younger and charismatic. However, most Mexicans played poorly, this is their common joint. But with the invitation of Tobin Bell, we got to the point: this mysterious and mysterious role of a defrocked priest was played by him wonderfully and to some extent he dragged the film on himself.
At first, the film seemed confused, individual scenes of death caused boredom and yawning. It seemed that there would be something heavy and too serious, devoid of thrash scenes and sharp turns. But then it was more fun. When the cards began to open, everything fell into place sharply and the film became quite predictable, it remains only to wait for exactly how everything will happen and whether there will be epic battles between good and evil.
In general, describing this movie, I will call it moderately interesting and fascinating. Still, sometimes skipped rather dull fragments that desperately wanted to rewind. The ending turned out to be weak, but given the general concept of the whole plot, it can be called satisfactory. It was stressful and fun, but it wasn't scary at all, not a gram. On the other hand, such biblical films rarely arouse fear and horror, but rather interest in prophecies and other prophecies. Remembering the same classic Omen - was it scary? Well, watching it as a child was creepy due to age, but reviewing later was just interesting and nothing more.
The story itself came out solid, though not very original, but the general staging and efforts of the director to make a cool mystical thriller helped make the film, I liked it mainly and I do not regret about 110 minutes of time spent. In addition, the creators managed to create a mysterious atmosphere of evil and horror, which, although not frightening, but kept in suspense and forced ' swallow' even not particularly interesting pieces of the film. In general, I also make a discount on the country-producer of the film, which in its pure form is Mexico, far from the most cinematic country. You can see the effort and desire to make a worthwhile product, which has a great effect on the film itself and on the attitude towards the director, Emilio Portes. A worthy film has brought to our attention, for which thank you!
Summing up, the film can advise fans of the genre and fans of all the unknown and mysterious. I won’t say that time stretches when watching, but it does not fly like lightning. A good quality thriller that can stir the imagination, giving a good spectacle for a dream. Watching at night is more atmospheric.
The confrontation between good and evil lasts for thousands of years, in cinema it is almost the basis of the foundations, as in our everyday life. But depending on the genres and artistic ambitions of the authors, the chess games of the parties are conducted on completely different hypostases. In addition, much depends on what goals a particular director pursues, because each creator individually represents one of the parties. Most people stumble through life, make many mistakes, sometimes this leads to a fatal outcome, and sometimes everything ends in the most successful way. Because the human gut is vulnerable and it is impossible to fence it, protect it from encroachments. It will absorb every grain of negative and positive energy, and the struggle will only continue until unity finally prevails in man. There is no place for balance here, because the thick of the scales will sooner or later move from place and everything will begin in a new circle. . .
Perhaps the meaning of being is to maintain harmony and not to strive for spiritual perfection. It is difficult to say whether there is a higher level. And who guarantees that the so-called harmony is not an illusion, a reprieve for the most evil? Who knows... Or, as I noted earlier in the upper paragraph, either total annihilation or catharsis must follow. A third is not given.
39 Beelzebub, as many of you may know, is one of the many names of the devil. The eponymous picture, shot on biblical motifs (strictly, of course), lacks a concentrated coverage of events. Emilio Portes focuses on unnecessary things. Some scenes simply take time away from the viewer. That is why timekeeping seems so stretched and does not pay for its ideological background. In addition, ' Beelzebub' very painfully breaks down into genres, although stylistically and adheres to its original context. At a certain point, this low-budget film mutates from a detective thriller to some mess.
Policeman Emmanuel Ritter (Joaquin Cosio), who is given the lion’s share of the story, simply can not carry the whole picture. Not only is there not a single colorful supporting character in the film, but Ritter was just an ordinary big guy with a gray beard. He goes back and forth the whole film, writhing like you don’t understand who, raises one eyebrow, not rarely for no reason snaps at unfamiliar people and employees (who are actually trying to help him). Yes, this man lost his newborn baby. But that doesn’t explain at least half of what he did. The consolation was the presence in the cast of Tobin Bell (a wide audience knows him from the franchise 'Saw'), but he has critically little screen time, while the left guys stick in every frame.
I would not call the picture bad, rather unfinished and unfinished. Plus, it is made under the impression of many famous films. But Emilio Portes has room to grow, and this director has potential. If he carefully hones the style and progresses, in the future we may hear his name.
5 out of 10
There is a lack of coolness for them:) 5 just for the technical side, there are a couple of beautifully shot moments, otherwise - slurred and drawn out.
Pros. From the first moments, due to the right music, a gloomy, oppressive mood was created. To participate in the film, quite textured actors were selected; everyone played perfectly, very naturally. In the film, computer special effects are minimally used, mostly everything is shot in the old-fashioned way due to natural performance, while everything looks good.
One of the template plot lines for such films: skepticism of GG, which over time grew into active religiosity (if you can call it that).
Cons. At some point, the film suddenly and sharply fell into a desperate thrash, even by the standards of films on a mystical theme. That is, for a long time kept at the level of powerful intrigue, and suddenly - the bottom and disclosure of all maps. Religious dialogues acquired a monstrously absurd content: in the form of gross distortion of famous Christian texts and a heap of naive fantasies (up to the “third appearance of Christ”). To look after this with a sense of at least some adequacy was no longer possible.
The religiousness of the people shown was reduced to one thing, which GG directly admitted - superstition; and also: in Mexico, even atheists are believers. All these people used only the most primitive ideas about God and the devil, and a set of persistent myths about the other world, including permissible and sometimes very useful magical practices. The so-called priests possessed the same quality of knowledge, including those very close to the so-called Pope. Prayer here is only part of a mandatory mystical ritual, not as a direct meaningful appeal to God. All of this together is a standard set of raw data for writing a typical script for a film of a similar subject. Nothing special, nothing extraordinary, nothing really profound or intelligent. Everything is typical enough: evil is evil, good is good, but often not strong enough to resist evil.
The plot is partly connected with the attempt of "scientific" research of the other world, which is now found in such pictures: instruments, measurements, graphs, experiments. This did not give concrete conclusions, but added to the “seriousness” of what is happening.
Lots of plot oddities. A specialist in “scientific demonology” was surprised to see magical symbols and found it difficult to recognize them. In another place, on the contrary, he suddenly showed deep knowledge in them. The priest of the “Children’s Church” was known to ordinary citizens and immediately recognized on the street; he was suspected of involvement in mass murders, but no one was seriously looking for him, although it was known where he was. The “priest” was surrounded by armed guards, but “at whose expense this banquet” was not clear. Why the devil suddenly moved into this character, it is not clear. The behavior of the mother of a young child is often inconsistent: then she personally defended him with all her strength, then left under the supervision of dubious characters. Evil lurked for five years, but why, it is unclear; suddenly it was as if a sewer broke through - a series of various mass murders. One of the key characters said he sold his soul to the devil to learn the truth from demons. From the point of view of logic, it is beautiful! – like peeing in the cold to warm up.
From the perspective of law and justice, which GG represented in the script, a woman and a child were kidnapped and forcibly held in the lair of religious fanatics. The policeman reacted to this only in the form of involvement in “divine destiny”, and in fact he became part of a controlled religious sect, one of the perpetrators of a protracted crime. Again, this is from the point of view of the law, the thought of which should have manifested itself somehow in the person of the policeman in the main role.
Our voiceover: Former Jewite ..., ... Let's go, let's do it. This movie is just right.
Conclusion. Previously, mystical films about ritual Satanic murders at least somehow could be interpreted from the point of view of possible correlation with reality, like, from otherworldly forces, everything can be expected, so there is nothing particularly surprising, will do. There is such a nucleus mixture of outright heresy (in the literal sense of the word), occult delirium and mystical fantasies that you can watch only by supporting your jaw with surprise! The third phenomenon is beyond good and evil. This is the natural embodiment of the gospel words: “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Here is Christ, or there,’ believe not.” For false Christs and false prophets will rise up and give great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, the elect. Here, I told you in advance. Therefore, if it is said to you, “Behold, he is in the wilderness,” do not go out; “Behold, he is in the hidden chambers,” do not believe (Matthew 24:23-26). Violent nonsense, even from the point of view of atheists, only remotely heard about biblical prophecies.
As a movie, it is suitable for one-time acquaintance, especially for Satanists and admirers of religious and occult themes. As a subject for research, where the world continues to roll, and what the heralds of recent times are preparing for us is very interesting. In an ideal moral sense, the film sucks: I watched and immediately forgot.
4 out of 10
Darkness attracts us no less than it frightens us. If one sees in it only a source of troubles, misfortunes and misunderstandings, others, on the contrary, try to use gloomy omens in their favor, in order to live until the hour when otherworldly forces endow them with a power that a simple mortal can only dream of. In this regard, it is not at all surprising that alongside Christianity, a current of Satanism has developed, lurking in the shadows, and at the same time increasing its sinister turns. For a long time, fans of Lucifer were outcasts, hunted and executed without mercy. And it is worth admitting that in some cases the punishment was absolutely fair, since inadequate sacrifices and other crimes in the name of Hell itself were contrary not only to the canons of Christianity, but also to the traditional moral aspects of civilization. However, with the onset of the tumultuous 20th century, when the planet was overwhelmed by World Wars and other cataclysms, Satanists somehow themselves went into the background, transformed into a sect, the existence of which can be quite tolerated. And when the guards of public order were distracted by completely different problems, the admirers of Lucifer again felt the power, but acted carefully so as not to get into sight and not become the object of another persecution. With the exception of the nightmarish crime of the infamous Charles Manson flock, Satanists and other occultists performed their dark deeds outside the public eye, but the periodically surfaced facts about their activities suggest that we should definitely not relax. If one group only reads the Book of Satan and dances naked by the fire, then others do not mind saving an innocent person from life, and this is truly a nightmare. And movies like ' Beelzebub', once again warn us that in our ambiguous world there is always room for a true nightmare, which, quite likely, can be mystical in nature.
So, the plot of the film unfolds in a fiery Mexican town, where crime and pain were registered no less firmly, ordinary citizens did not live. Every day in the local neighborhood there are horrors, which do not even want to remember, but once there was a formal nightmare, which did not talk only lazy. Having lost the last centers of reason, a girl without a shadow of sympathy in her eyes destroyed newborn babies right in the maternity ward. Among those killed is the child of detective Emmanuel Ritter (Joaquin Cosio), who soon had to endure another tragedy. Unable to cope with the experiences, his wife decided not to continue their agony and left our mortal world. Naturally, these events left an imprint on the psyche of the detective, which will haunt him throughout his subsequent life, especially since the hastily conducted investigation did not find the real perpetrators of the crime, and the citizens began to live on, trying to forget about that nightmarish day. And, it would seem, the incident is really a thing of the past and it was possible to finally turn such a sad page of history, when suddenly after a few years the murders of children resume. This time, Detective Ritter no longer intends to miss the opportunity to deal with everything, but in order to find out everything he needs, the hero critically needs the help of a radical priest Ivan Franko (Tate Ellington), who has developed not the best relations with the church, not ready to put up with dignitaries that cause confusion. Stepping on a shaky road that leads them directly to the mysterious Vasilio Canetti (Tobin Bell), Emmanuel and Ivan learn what previously could only dream of them in the most terrible dream, because now they fully realize that the warnings written long ago in Holy Scripture, were far from empty sound.
Mexicans, to whom most of the film crew belongs, including director Emilio Portes, have developed a special relationship with the Christian religion. It is in this country that the so-called Day of the Dead flourishes, during which living relatives honor the dead, and we could observe its details in an excellent cartoon & #39; The Mystery of Coco' which told children that death is actually only the beginning. But this is only a small fraction of the colorful features that demonstrate the special attitude of Mexicans to Heaven and Hell. And it is worth admitting that Emilio Portes managed to use the color of his homeland for the intended purpose, creating a heavy, pressing, but at the same time mysterious and attractive atmosphere that makes you look at every dark corner and try to see something supernatural there. In ' Beelzebub' you will not find easy jokes and relaxing moments, because the film is shot in earnest and does not hurry to be an attraction in the style of ' The Last Expulsion of the Devil' Portes thickens the colors of his story literally from the first minutes of viewing, and in the future, the crimson darkness will only spread across the screen, serving as a clear proof that without special accompaniment in the Mexican outback, you should definitely not stick around.
To achieve the feeling that everything that happens in the frame can creep into our soul, the director does not skimp on the detailing of the mystical nightmare that blossomed with his deafening submission. Prepare for the fact that the demonstration of obsession and other unpleasant moments associated with the activities of an overly dangerous satanic sect will be as repulsive and naturalistic as possible. In all colors, the creators demonstrate bloody features on camera, during which the devil takes possession of a person and tries to create him through deeds beyond the control of a healthy mind. No less frightening is the ritual of exile, because in this story no one jokes, and if the force of light and darkness collide, then without crimson rivers can not do. Perhaps this is the greatest feature of the film, which tries to break hope into small pieces and spares no one, especially young children, who in Beelzebub 39, certainly no one considers untouchable. Of course, in some places Portes deliberately hides some problems with the script visualization of a bloody nightmare, but it must be admitted that he does very well, and therefore for the most part his flaws can be avoided. Especially when you consider how many strong actors are busy on the set, and how accurately they manage to demonstrate their images.
For the mass audience, the greatest interest is, of course, the unforgettable Tobin Bell, known for his role as John Kramer from the franchise ' Saw'. Continuing to follow his role, Bell is in no hurry to join the defenders of the holy covenants and tries to fully use the opportunity to flirt with the underworld. Bell appears on the screen infrequently, but it must be admitted that he will leave the memory of himself to duty, because Vasilio Canetti in his performance commits simply insane acts, and if this person exists in real life, he should be tried without trial and investigation immediately at the place of detention. So despite some secondary plot, “Beelzebub” has a dark aura that is both frightening and tempting.
7 out of 10