Fun With Horror

Review By: Tyler Doupe’

A rural police department is turned upside down when an ancient specter appears, carrying a dismembered head. The wraith is hell-bent on destruction. As the night unfolds, he claims more innocent victims.

I saw a writeup on INKUBUS. The piece spoke favorably of the film, so I opted to check it out. I was quite pleased with what I saw. It’s simply one of the best original horror films I’ve seen in a while. Like much of what I’ve been drawn to lately, it’s an independent film that was made on a shoestring. It’s becoming clear that the future of horror lies in independent cinema. Not obligated to the studio conglomerate, independent filmmakers can put out hard-hitting, quality original content. More often than not, studios want to put their money in to sequels, remakes, re-treads, and re-imaginings. Now, with few exceptions, the only original studio backed horror we see is watered down PG-13 nonsense. The disappointing thing is that films like this don’t usually get much, if any, theatrical exposure or publicity, but inferior films like DREAM HOUSE are advertised all over network television.

Something that makes INKUBUS stand out from a lot of the other crap I watch is the fact that it’s more of a thriller with really strong horror overtones. It has a well put together story line and doesn’t rely on cheap thrills to keep its audience engaged. I was equally entertained by the plot and the kills scenes. The pacing is right on. The kills start early on and continue at a steady pace throughout the film. There are no dry spells, bogged down by too much story and too little killing.

The gore is bountiful from the get go, but the film never crosses in to so-called “torture porn” territory. There’s enough violence to satisfy the gore hound, but it’s not done in  total excess or to the point of saturation. The camera doesn’t zoom in and fixate on the gory details. INKUBUS shows enough to make an impact on viewers, but not so much as to turn your stomach. The effects are well done, particularly for a small budget.

It goes without saying, but I will say it anyway, Robert Englund is fantastic. His performance is reminiscent of his turn as Fred Krueger, but completely unique. He is perfect as the charismatic,  calculating, and evil, Inkubus. He brings depth to a role that could have been flat and forgettable in less capable hands. The rest of the performances aren’t bad, either. I was surprised to find that Joey Fatone wasn’t terrible. He didn’t ruin the film in any regard.

The script is well written and the direction is very effective. I really struggle to find any significant fault with INKUBUS. My only complaint would be that the camera work looked a little ‘low-budget’, but, seeing as how it’s a low-budget film, I wasn’t too worked up about it.

INKUBUS is a must see for horror fans. It’s entertaining, well made, and fun. Not to mention, Robert Englund is in it. INKUBUS is currently available on DVD.