IFC Midnight delivers an intensely creepy and scary thrill ride with I Trapped The Devil, starring Scott Poythress, AJ Bowen, and Susan Burke. Indelibly marking a remarkable debut, first-time filmmaker Josh Lobo has put together a psychologically riveting and claustrophobic thriller about the thin line between madness and sanity.
Christmas is supposed to be a time for peace and joyful family reunions. But when Matt (AJ Bowen) and his wife Karen (Susan Burke) show up unannounced at the home of his estranged brother Steve (Scott Poythress) to celebrate the holidays, they are instead greeted with a horrifying surprise: trapped in the basement is a man. But not just any man. Steve believes that his hostage is none other than the devil himself. As shock and skepticism turn to fear and paranoia, Matt and Karen find themselves facing a terrifying quandary: is Steve dangerously unhinged? Or could the mysterious stranger really be evil incarnate?
Here are 5 reasons why you should see I Trapped The Devil:
5) Susan Burke!
With such a charismatic presence, Susan Burke pulls off the tricky role of Matt’s loyal and conflicted wife, Karen. As an observant bystander, Karen (Buke) is filled with anxiety and indecisiveness as she’s slowly steered into Steve’s bizarre paranoia. Audiences will be in awe of Burke by the pulse-pounding end because of her knockout performance!
4) Scott Poythress!
Scott Poythress is simply captivating to watch because he has to be both the sympathetic protagonist and the creepy antagonist at the same time. Steve (Poythress) is mentally unhinged and yet there’s an aura of deep sadness about him because he knows this all too well. Steve accepts he may have done something horribly wrong, but his mind is too far gone; he can’t go back.
3) AJ Bowen!
AJ Bowen does a superb job of visually showing the estrangement between his everyman character, Matt, and Steve (Poythress). Matt struggles to reconnect with his brother, who is in desperate need of help. Matt refuses to fall in line with Steve’s paranoia, but there’s always doubt plaguing his sense of logic.
2) A Stylish Look!
Boasted by three well-acted on-screen performances, cinematographer Bryce Holden captures the moody and tense atmosphere on camera. I love the scenes in the basement, where the hostage is locked up. The hypnotizing red lighting adds to the claustrophobic lair, while serving as a foreshadowing symbolism of Hell.
1) A Must-See Horror Flick!
Writer/director Josh Lobo is clearly interested in creating the suspenseful mood of paranoia and instability with I Trapped The Devil. This horror flick definitely works because each terrifying scene is held up superbly by its incredible ensemble.
I Trapped The Devil hits theaters and VOD on April 26th, 2019.