User Reviews

The trailers for this movie are far more effective than the actual movie itself. This movie wants so badly to be scary and dreadful but just comes across as half-assed instead. For all the hoopla about exorcisms and the devil and demons this movie had no real effective atmosphere to go along with it. You can tell that the makers of the movie wanted badly for the audience to be scared by this film. Unfortunately it lacked all the ingredients to do so. It felt like a made for TV movie with f-words and blood thrown in to somehow try and elevate it beyond that. It never did. For pete's sake there's even a (very poor) CGI Jesus statue that is "possessed" by the devil and talks to the main characters. How could you take the source material and put in R-rated content only to come off feeling like a Hallmark movie? I don't know the answer to that and I don't think anyone else does either.

Spoiler alert When the little boy was able to see the demon, i had wish they showed more of it. The wooden talking Jesus was great. Then it appeared, briefly, towards the end. I don't mind watching actors be possessed, but i still am a avid fan of creature creatures. Therefore, display the creature a bit more. Otherwise, this movie is crazy because it focuses on killing children. That's horror in itself. Nevertheless i enjoyed it.

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#Imnotpartofthecast.

The first half of the movie is more atmospheric and thus far better than the second half. But with Yunuen Pardo's hot ass one star added.

Lt. Emmanuel Ritter (Joaquín Cosio -Mexico's John Rhys-Davies) loses as on, stabbed to death repeatedly by a nurse. Five years later he is investigating the mass killings of five-year-old kids. Clearly Rosemary's baby carriage on the cover hints at something theological, that and the old man with satanic tats. An American Paranormal investigator is summoned to the scene so the film could progress in English.

If you like the ongoing endless cage match of God V Satan in films, this one is done slightly differently. Who knew Mexico had a virgin?

Guide: F-word. No sex or nudity.

The bible is ignored.

Anyone who knows scripture knows the second coming of Christ will not be a repeat of the first. He will not be born as a child. He will come in glory riding the clouds with four angels who will sweep the four corners of the earth. And no not to gather the faithful - to remove the unworthy (Matthew 31-35 and 37-43) Thus the Rapture folks are wrong.

Good movie otherwise!

And I thought American and French films were depraved. Mexicans clearly have no limits either. Or perhaps the various cartel wars there have made them so hardened to extreme violence that nothing seems sacred to them anymore. If there is even the slightest risk of giving some lunatics ideas of butchering babies in a hospital, then it should not be filmed, period.

But some misfit thought it a great idea to have someone stab every infant in a nursery, to open a film. As if the success of horror is how extreme and far you're willing to go in excess and violence. Only amateurs follow this credo. That's like metalheads who believe that the faster and the more "brootal" the music, the better. Or tennis pros (admittedly few of them) who are convinced that the path to success is to hit every ball as hard as you can. The "more is always more" credo.

As expected, the plot is dumb. But it's also very slow, only mildly atmospheric - and features a talking Christ statue!

Unintentional humour should never - repeat, never - involve a Christ statue talking like Ricardo Montalban. It looks like a marionette, really goofy, to make things even sillier. To add insult to double injury, this demon (impersonating Jesus) speaks in English to the Mexican cop, which makes very little sense for several reasons:

1. This is a Mexican movie, and this statue is in Mexico.

2. The demon was addressing the Mexican cop, wanting to corrupt him. The cop would have preferred to be addressed in Spanish.

3. By talking in Spanish instead, the demon would have avoided the American investigator understanding him, hence the American would be even less likely to warn the cop to be wary of the demon's manipulation.

So Satan is a moron?

The cop's behaviour is also that of a moron, usually. Not his initial skepticism, I don't mean that: it was normal and sensible of him to doubt the supernatural. (Some reviewers seem to think he's stupid for not immediately believing in a demonic conspiracy, as if he was supposed to somehow know that he was in a supernatural horror movie! This actually reveals the audience's ineptness, not the cop's. Ironic.) His real stupidity becomes apparent later, in that scene when Satan tricks him as easily as he would a child.

No, wait... This movie doesn't trick kids, it "merely" slaughters them.

Or how about Tobin (who is such a boring actor) babbling about a "Moslem child messiah who was killed by the Crusaders in the 8th century". Now, I know that religious horrors have their own "logic" and we need to be tolerant toward some of the BS, but this is just laughable. The Christian God sent a Messiah to be born into a Moslem family? Now I've heard everything... I wouldn't be too surprised about hearing this kind of PC silliness in an American horror film, but am admittedly surprised that a Mexican script contains this kind of hooey.

The mediocre acting doesn't help much either. For example, the weak scene with the fortune-telling woman stank because it was so funny to give fortune-tellers such credibility (even in a religious horror this is a stretch), but this was made even sillier by her bad acting.

The last thing you need in a possession film is lousy acting, because the majority of all exorcism scenes in such films are anyway unconvincing, corny and lame.

Or how about the "you did it!" scene? Everyone in the audience must know that the American DIDN'T get rid of the demon at that point. It's hard to believe a horror writer (or at least a writer for horror) would actually try such a cheap trick. What is this, 1928?

Or that dumb "trick" in the last 15 minutes when Robin CHEATS the audience by grinning after the cop starts butchering everybody. Trying to make us believe the priest is a bad guy after all, but in a way that makes zero sense.

The messiah child is then assigned to the DUMB formerly POSSESSED cop to guard over. Stupid beyond belief.

I find it fascinating when a film delves into a different culture and goes away from traditional Hollywood roots, there more it feels like an obscure reality. The language, scenery, and characters all possess unique attributes that lend a great sense of authenticity. This approach makes the story grittier and imbues it with a profound sense of unknow terror, believability and mystery.

So far in the year 2024, I have come across some films that showcased this cultural diversity, such as "I Saw the Devil" set in South Korea, "Talk to Me" from Australia, and now "Belzebuth" set in Mexico. Each film introduced a unique style and aesthetics that kept me intrigued, breathing new life into the genre and the film industry as a whole.

The opening sequence of Belzebuth, where the nurse inhumanely stabs multiple babies, will haunt me immensely. I haven't encountered a more disturbing opening in recent times, with the closest comparison being the infamous wire scene from Ghost Ship. If this harrowing scene doesn't immediately draw you into the film, then I don't know anything more sinister in a horror film that possibly could.

Belzebuth draws inspiration from many similar possession films over the years but succeeds by showcasing them in an altered way. The scenes of slaughter among children are usually harsh and borderline taboo. From the swimming pool electrocution to the schoolroom shooting, the filmmakers tread cautiously with these scenes, and for very good reason.

The talking Jesus statue in the film was quite unnerving. While it didn't seem that special at first, the demon trapped inside gave off some truly terrifying vibes. The symbols painted all over the church and tunnels added a satanic vibe. Although the enhanced ambiance was effective, a bit more lore and backstory could have enriched the plot.

The casting of Mexican actor Joaquín Cosio as Emmanuel Ritter was a stroke of genius. His portrayal not only perfectly suited the role but also underscored the notion that physical attractiveness holds little significance when you have a compelling script and an even better story. Joaquín's transformation from being possessed was both credible and haunting, illustrating a diverse character with flaws and his journey toward closure and moving on.

Ivan Franco, playing Tate Ellington, was another complex character who shifted from otherworldly scientific practices to be seen as a priest in the Vatican. He effectively utilized his knowledge and charisma, while José Sefami as Demetrio provided Italian Mafia vibes but turned out to be one of the most loyal and reliable characters in the film.

The priest revealed by Belzebuth to have made a deal to track down the reincarnation of the Messiah. Shockingly, it is disclosed that Vasilio Canetti (Tobin Bell) attempted to break his pact to save his soul through multiple child sacrifices, adding a shock twist in the latter stages of the film.

Tehe potential ending almost hit me with what would have been one of the best psychological twists since "The Prestige" and would have been disturbingly mind-blowing. While it's fortunate the movie found a healthy balance, It held my attention intently realizing this change could have led us to a truly depressing and despicable ending.

Belzebuth jumped out of the gate with ferocity, and I never looked back. Forget cheap jump scares, gore, and cliché storytelling. This film was deliberately stark, and tempting but not with needless malice, and it could have very well ventured a little bit more into cartel or human trafficking territory. However, it kept a mysterious tale integrated with themes of immigration, corruption, and religion. Belzebuth relied on good storytelling, excellent acting, and a shocking, and suspenseful narrative, all of which it delivered in spades.

7/10.

I watched most of this movie. But when I got to the end and the story they told about Jesus, the Bible, Muslims so untrue! This movie makes no sense at all, slow, horrible acting! Why speak in Spanish when you know how to speak in English!