Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

I Trapped the Devil Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf September 8, 2019

Writer/director Josh Lobo doesn’t have many professional credits to his name. He’s a newcomer who’s taking the same path as many first-time helmers, turning to horror to figure out his big screen vision, trusting in a genre that’s typically very kind to such low-budget ambition. Thankfully, there’s little to forgive about “I Trapped the Devil,” which is accomplished work from Lobo, who bathes the feature in mood and style to dress up traditional suspense in different ways, pulling up a handsome effort with pockets of genuine unease. Labeling the movie slow-burn is being kind, but Lobo on a mission to make his contractually obligated run time, moving through the Christmastime nightmare inch-by-inch, making sure every corner of the endeavor is tended to. “I Trapped the Devil” takes its sweet time to get where it’s going, but the reward is a chance to see an obviously talented director take his first step with an eerie endeavor.

It’s Christmas, and Matt (AJ Bowen) doesn’t want to see his brother, Steve (Scott Poythress), for the holidays. Talked into making a visit by his wife, Karen (Susan Burke), Matt reluctantly takes the trip, entering his sibling’s home, where the walls are papered over, lighting is limited, and the owner is not happy to greet any guests. Hoping to reconcile after a period of estrangement, Matt attempts to be kind to Steve, showing interest in his life, but the man of the house is keeping a secret in his basement. Locked behind a door is someone or something that’s desperate to get out, with Steve making sure the evil force is contained. While Matt tries to comprehend his brother’s possible madness as it reaches the level of a real-world kidnapping, Karen takes her own tour of the home, making certain discoveries that challenge her own sanity.

“I Trapped the Devil” could possibly work as a simple domestic drama, as Matt is urged into making contact with Steve, with the pair not on speaking terms as the holiday season comes into view. There’s unease between the brothers, and Matt identifies Karen as the instigator of such as reunion, but the intent is clear, with family harmony the endgame for the stay. There’s an awkward dinner to start, watching Matt trying to keep conversation alive while his sibling gives him nothing but ice, but instead of developing such hostility to survey the repairing of a lifelong bond, Lobo turns the event into something unsettling. It turns out Steve truly has a reason to deny Matt access to the house, as he’s keeping a person in the basement, locked up behind a thick door, with periodic pleas for release soon understood by the guests, who demand answers Steve is reluctant to give.

Who exactly the hostage is that Steve is so fearful of remains the secret of “I Trapped the Devil.” As the title suggests, the homeowner claims he’s captured a beast, eventually exposing his obsessive sleuthing with Matt, who enters an attic bedroom that’s been transformed into a red string map of demonry and crime, with Steve detailing “patterns” in the world that suggest something horrific on the horizon for humanity. Karen finds a loaded gun in another room, increasing tensions among the adults as straight answers are demanded, but Steve only offers rambling interpretations of threat and debates the nature of evil, possibly influenced by electronic signals. Lobo remains with these heated exchanges, creating a chess game of paranoia as the details of what’s going on start to take shape, putting Matt in a difficult position of policing a clearly traumatized man who truly believes he has something supernatural in his basement, testing his brotherly sympathies.

I Trapped the Devil Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (2.35:1 aspect ratio) presentation frequently utilizes the color red, which bathes scenes set in the basement, dominating the palette. More Christmas hues are found upstairs, giving the movie an appealing balance of hotter primaries and natural colors, doing well with cold weather costuming and skintones. Detail is excellent, offering a fibrous look at red string walls and clothing, along with rougher surfaces for housing disrepair. Facial surfaces are intact, and eventual moves to gore are showcased with moist clarity. Delineation is healthy, easing entrance into scenes with limited lighting, preserving cinematographic depth and shadow play.

I Trapped the Devil Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

"I Trapped the Devil" is a movie that's primary interested in its sound design, often turning to spooky noises to carry the feature. The 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound mix preserves the intense listening event, providing a nuanced delivery of sound effects, which explore electronic noises, banging doors, and gunshots, all presented with satisfactory clarity, joining crisp indoor and outdoor atmospherics as surrounds frequently perk up, creating circular environments. Dialogue exchanges are satisfactory, identifying emotional quirks and intensity as argumentative behavior enters the effort. Low-end does well with bass rumbles and slamming action.

I Trapped the Devil Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features writer/director Josh Lobo.

• Deleted Scene (1:44, HD) highlights a gas station conversation between Matt and Karen.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (1:44, HD) is included.

I Trapped the Devil Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"I Trapped the Devil" is a striking picture made with very little money. Cinematographer Bryce Holden bathes the effort in red lighting, adding intensity to simple basement exploration, and composer Ben Lovett is tasked with conjuring sonic agitation out of thin air, offering a score that works overtime to add atmosphere. Lobo has command of tech credits and mood, performances as well (the cast digs into the restlessness of the central conflict), but pacing is off at times, with the helmer extending what feels like short film material into a feature-length movie, lingering on stillness just to make it to 80 minutes. There's not enough here to get lost in, but Lobo has his moments, achieving a sense of the unreal and the unknown in "I Trapped the Devil," establishing a level of distress that can only improve with a more advanced screenplay or tighter editing interests.