Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Satanic Blu-ray Movie Review

Be Careful What You Wish For

Reviewed by Michael Reuben October 18, 2016

Satanic marks the feature debut of Jeffrey Hunt, who learned his craft directing such TV series as Fringe, Gotham and The Vampire Diaries. Hunt brings television's virtues of economy and precision to an old-fashioned slow-burn horror tale that begins at a deliberate pace, carefully laying the groundwork for the hyperactive last act. The script by Anthony Jaswinski (The Shallows) proceeds from a simple premise, inventively elaborated to its logical conclusion.

The plot of Satanic is neatly summarized in an opening quote from the English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge: "Speak too liberal of the devil . . . and his horns soon appear." What follows is the story of four college students who speak liberally of the devil and everything else, in the carefree manner of young people on vacation and looking for a good time. It's spring break, and a quartet of friends—Chloe (Sarah Hyland, Modern Family), her boyfriend David (Steven Krueger), Chloe's best friend Elise (Clara Mamet) and her boyfriend Seth (Justin Chon)—have embarked on a road trip to the Coachella Music and Arts Festival. But Elise and Seth have planned an interim two-day stop in L.A. for some demonic sightseeing, and they're so serious about immersing themselves in demonology that they have reserved a specific room at the Flower Hotel. It's the room where a member of a satanic church slit her throat in a ritual suicide. Seth even has historical photos of the bloody scene to compare against the room's current appearance.

As the group jokes their way through their pilgrimage of evil, there are early danger signs, including a distant figure screaming and pounding on a warehouse window in a deserted part of town. (Chloe snaps a picture with the iPhone that is permanently affixed to her hand; phones play a major role in Satanic.) The foursome laughs and quips their way through classic tourist destinations like Hollywood Blvd. and Venice Beach, but they also make time for more unconventional attractions like the house where Sharon Tate was murdered by the Manson Family and the Church of Satan founded by legendary devil worshipper Anton LaVey. The creepiness doesn't truly intensify, however, until the group encounters Alice (Sophie Dalah), an apparently helpless stray caught up in the rituals of a cult headed by the sinister owner of a store dealing in occult paraphernalia. (The store owner is played by Anthony Carrigan, who portrays the sardonic assassin Victor on Gotham.) After rescuing Alice from the cult's clutches (or so they think), the group heedlessly offers her shelter in their room at the Flower Hotel—and that's when a door gets opened to the hellish fate they've been tempting all along.

Even after their disturbing encounter with Alice, the foursome doesn't immediately realize the severity of their predicament, but they begin to panic as the forces they have unleashed pursue them beyond the hotel. Hunt borrows liberally from classics like The Exorcist and Poltergeist to stage an effectively escalating series of frightful supernatural events leading to a horrific conclusion. For those who want a preview of some of these moments, I have included several in the extra screenshots, after the menu screen. (Skip them if you want to see the film "cold".) In its last twenty minutes, Satanic moves at a furious pace, as the repeatedly tempted demonic forces unleash their wrath on every member of the group.

Satanic Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Satanic was shot digitally by Mike Karasick, who worked with director Hunt on The Vampire Diaries. As noted in the extras, the film was shot in only fifteen days, but Karasick managed to achieve a professional sheen for most of its running time, despite the rushed production. Magnolia Home Entertainment's 1080p, AVC-encoded Blu-ray sports an image that is dark and obscure when necessary (especially in the nightmarish concluding sequence) but is otherwise bright and colorful with a palette that alternates between naturalistic and garishly saturated (the latter usually connotes proximity to the spirit world). Detail is plentiful, and the image is free of distortion, aliasing or other artifacts. Magnolia has mastered the 84-minute film on a BD-25 with an average bitrate of 25.02 Mbps and a capable encode.

Satanic Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Satanic's 5.1 soundtrack, presented in lossless DTS-HD MA, takes full advantage of the surround array to intensify the experience of a descent into hell. Mysterious thumps, sudden crashes and distant, haunted voices are among the effects heard from all directions. Wide dynamic range and deep bass extension accentuate the sense of danger. The dialogue is clear and correctly localized and the score by Jim Dooley (the remake of When a Stranger Calls) and Todd Haberman (Netflix's Hemlock Grove) ranges from jaunty heavy metal to ominous rumbling.

Satanic Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• The Making of Satanic (1080p; 1.78:1; 6:47): This EPK features interviews with screenwriter Jaswinski, executive producer Stephen Emery, director Hunt and the cast.



• The Cast (1080p; 1.78:1; 5:28): Hunt discusses the casting process, with special mention of Sophie Dalah ("Alice"), who had no credits when she was cast.



• Special Effects (1080p; 1.78:1; 3:27): A brief look at the practical makeup effects created by Jerry Constantine.



• Behind the Scenes Footage (1080p; 1.78:1; 1:47): A short compilation of footage showing the cast and crew at work.



• Theatrical Trailer (1080p; 2.40:1; 1:59): "Once the prayer is spoken . . . the deal can never be broken."



• Also from Magnolia Home Entertainment: The disc includes trailers for The Last King, The Wave, Gridlocked and Last Shift, as well as promos for the Charity Network and AXS TV. These also play at startup, where they can be skipped with the chapter forward button.



• BD-Live: As of this writing, attempting to access BD-Live produces the message "Check back later for updates".

Satanic Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Horror movies are everywhere these days, and their devices have become so familiar that one quickly becomes jaded. Satanic rises above the pack, thanks to credible performances, taut direction and a simple premise that doesn't require elaborate backstory to explain the danger. Magnolia's Blu-ray presentation is superior and recommended.