The Diabolical is Alistair Legrand's debut feature, and right out of the gate he's made quite a memorable film. The strengths of the film lie in the look of the film and the writing. This low budget feature looks far better than it has any right to. In this era of found footage horror it is refreshing to see a debut that goes for a cinematic look as opposed to a thrown together shaky cam look. The story is very solid, though hard to speak of without going into spoiler heavy territory. Legrand has taken a standard ghost tale and added some fun twists to the third act that elevate The Diabolical well above its brethren. We'll leave it at that so as not to spoil the fun.
The movie is great for those that want a mix of horror with sci-fi and a focus on character. If you are looking for someone to get offed every 10 minutes this movie is not for you. This is not a slasher, or even a traditional ghost story. It takes its cues equally from ET as it does from Poltergeist. If you want great atmosphere, characters you feel for, and a plot that engages your mental faculties you will have a great time with the movie! Looking online it seems some folks have been a bit confused by elements of the plot, but if you are a viewer of any sophistication that should not be the case. You don't get a Psycho shrink laying it all out for you at the end, but the plot twists in the third act are clear if you're paying attention.
If this first feature is any indication, we have a lot to look forward to from Legrand! Here's hoping this unique take on the ghost story manages to find its audience.
The movie is great for those that want a mix of horror with sci-fi and a focus on character. If you are looking for someone to get offed every 10 minutes this movie is not for you. This is not a slasher, or even a traditional ghost story. It takes its cues equally from ET as it does from Poltergeist. If you want great atmosphere, characters you feel for, and a plot that engages your mental faculties you will have a great time with the movie! Looking online it seems some folks have been a bit confused by elements of the plot, but if you are a viewer of any sophistication that should not be the case. You don't get a Psycho shrink laying it all out for you at the end, but the plot twists in the third act are clear if you're paying attention.
If this first feature is any indication, we have a lot to look forward to from Legrand! Here's hoping this unique take on the ghost story manages to find its audience.