Demon (2015)

Wedding Crashers: Ghost Dimension…

A bridegroom is possessed by an unquiet spirit in the midst of his own wedding celebration.

It feels unfortunate to start a review for a film I adored, to read the news that the director, Marcin Wrona, sadly committed suicide whilst this film was no doubt shining brightly in the film festival circuit. What Wrona has done with Demon is not only create a dramatic twist on the possession subgenre, but have it laced with Polish history and political messages, all the while looking absolutely beautiful.

Demon is 2015 Polish film that is enticing from start to finish. All through out the film there is a sense of unease and everything just feels a little off… Its earthy sepia tones are hypnotic, the wedding itself holds a soft elegant touch of lighting, which contrasts nicely with the dark grittiness of the storm that carries on just outside the doors. The cinematography here is one of the nicest I have seen, it builds such atmosphere that the film begins to sink in your skin.

There are sparks of dark humour that effortlessly blend into the macabre events of the evening and leading man Itay Tiran (Piotr) delivers one of the finest performances I’ve seen in a horror. Tiran undergoes an incredible and physical transformation over the film, that at time feels gut wrenching to watch, but it is played well against the humorous in-laws who are working over time to keep party guests convinced that everything is fine.

Demon is both gripping and sad. Whilst wrestling with cultural conflict Wrona brings an atmospheric ghost story that holds one of the best physical performances in the genre. A somewhat ambiguous ending results in a rather anticlimactic ending, but regardless this is a film that is going to sit underneath your skin for days.

8.5 / 10

“Is it possible… a spirit of a dead person… can appear before us?”