Image via Garaj Pictures and Sacred Ember Films
The Seductress from Hell is a mixed bag of conventional horror tropes, grisly homage, and heavy-handed social commentary. Writer-director Andrew de Burgh has crafted a distinctive thriller from his love of indie influenced genre classics including John Carpenter’s Halloween, Clive Barker’s Hellraiser, and Wes Craven’s A Nightmare on Elm Street.
Films that introduced their own kind of icon, tapped into primal fears, and ripped away rationale to leave a lingering doubt after dark. Movies that morphed into franchises before becoming cash cows, outstaying their welcome and reducing their iconic creations to a caricature. Thankfully, there is little chance of that happening here since de Burgh may shoot for the moon but falls short of delivering a villain that can scale those horrific heights.
Image via Garaj Pictures and Sacred Ember Films
The premise of an abusive husband (Jason Faunt) and his victimised spouse (Rocio Scotto) are ripe for a retribution slash revenge thriller tangent, which is exactly what The Seductress from Hell delivers. As Robert, Zara’s hot headed other half, Faunt is a despicable mix of psychological bully and physical assailant. Stripping away her self-confidence, only offering intimacy on his terms, and berating Zara in front of their friends Derek (Raj Jawa) and Maya (Kylie Rohrer).
Image via Garaj Pictures and Sacred Ember Films
In the opening scenes that establish this dynamic, de Burgh uses silence as well as his own style of dialogue to create tension between this couple. Faunt may resort to scenery chewing on occasion, opposite an overly timid Scotto, but the basics of their relationship are laid out in broad strokes until this brow beaten and abused spouse turns to something more demonic for retribution. This is where the comparisons to Hellraiser come in, as an overt fascination with incantations encourages Zara to exact a specific type of revenge.
Image via Garaj Pictures and Sacred Ember Films
Comparisons with Miike Takashi’s Audition are also unavoidable in what follows since ritualistic dismemberment is on the agenda. However, The Seductress from Hell soon sidesteps into formula when people start getting suspicious following Robert’s disappearance. Audition excelled with a combination of slow burn storytelling and gut-wrenching reveals that instantly afforded it landmark status, something that is sorely missing here.
Image via Garaj Pictures and Sacred Ember Films
Falling back on formula, de Burgh undermines his movie by leaning into conventional choices. Certain scenes feel at odds with each other as horrific elements sit in opposition to extended monologues on social issues. This juxtaposition, although powerful, gives The Seductress from Hell a certain tonal imbalance, overshadowing some potent visual effects and superior production design. Traits that may save this horrific hybrid from mediocrity but fails to follow through on an intriguing premise horror fans can really get behind.
Image via Garaj Pictures and Sacred Ember Films
Veterans Jason Faunt and James Hyde may bring a certain degree of kudos to The Seductress from Hell, while Rocio Scotto valiantly embraces her split-personalities, but that desire to lean into social commentary robs this film of a satisfying resolution. Making this more of a platform to debate contemporary concerns than unleash a cinematic monster on unsuspecting audiences.
The Seductress from Hell will be released in 2025