‘The Demoness’ Review
Stars: Sydney Culbertson, Akihiro Kitamura, Riley Nottingham, Bella Glanville, Mark Pontarelli, Amelia Gotham, Bruce Clifford, Haruka Igarashi, Dallas Schaefer | Written and Directed by Andrew de Burgh
The Demoness is an unexpectedly vibrant and stylish entry into modern supernatural horror, the kind of film that wears its pulp influences proudly while delivering far more personality and craft than its modest scale might suggest. It follows a seductive, shape-shifting demon who weaves her way through the lives of flawed, desperate humans, exploiting their weaknesses with a mixture of mischief, menace, and strangely captivating charm. Sydney Culbertson’s performance in the title role is nothing short of magnetic. She glides between allure, humour, and threat with effortless precision, giving the film a confident centre of gravity and ensuring that every scene she appears in sparks with energy.
What immediately stands out is the film’s visual confidence. Its use of colour, shadow, and practical creature effects gives it a tactile, throwback sensibility that fans of ‘80s and ‘90s supernatural films will relish. The demon’s monstrous form is cleverly designed – grotesque, expressive, and full of character – and the film never feels the need to hide it behind murky editing or excessive CGI. The nightclub and night-time sequences, in particular, pulse with atmospheric lighting that enhances the mood without ever overwhelming it. For a production working within constraints, it achieves a confidently bold aesthetic.
Tonally, The Demoness leans into a blend of dark humour, seductive horror, and relationship drama, and this unusual mixture becomes one of its strengths. The shifts between eeriness and camp aren’t mistakes so much as stylistic choices that give the film a unique voice. Rather than chasing conventional jump scares, The Demoness opts for personality; moments of wicked humour, sardonic commentary, and a sense that the titular creature delights as much in exposing hypocrisy as she does in terrorising her prey. It makes the film feel playful even at its darkest, adding a layer of entertainment that keeps the pacing lively.
Thematically, the story has fun with ideas of human desire, ego, and self-destruction. The demoness doesn’t simply attack her victims; she draws out their flaws, pushing them toward choices they were already halfway to making. This approach gives the film more bite than a typical supernatural thriller, adding a sly intelligence beneath the surface theatrics. Characters may be heightened, but the film understands exactly what it’s doing with them, and its commentary comes through with enough wit and energy to stay engaging.
While the narrative occasionally wanders and not every dramatic beat hits with full force, the overall experience remains consistently entertaining. Even the moments that feel slightly uneven contribute to the film’s quirky charm rather than detracting from it. It’s the rare low-budget horror film that aims for style, personality, and thematic ambition and actually hits most of what it reaches for.
Ultimately, The Demoness is a lively, imaginative, and thoroughly enjoyable supernatural romp. Its blend of horror, humour, and myth gives it a distinctive identity, and Culbertson’s performance alone is worth the price of admission. Fans of offbeat creature features and supernatural thrillers with a playful streak will find plenty to appreciate.
**** 4/5
The Demoness makes it three-for-three with genre features for writer/director Andrew de Burgh (The Seductress From Hell, The Bestowal), here’s looking forward to his next opus!
