Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Sukkubus Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov February 2, 2022

Georg Tressler's "Sukkubus" (1989) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Mondo Macabro. The supplemental features on the disc a new program with actor Peter Simonischek and restored vintage trailer for the film. In German, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Before the prologue a short text informs of the existence of a supposedly popular Swiss legend about three cattlemen who somehow awakened a great evil force that later on punished them. I am unfamiliar with the legend, but my guess is that the original version of it does not have a lot in common with the one that is reconstructed in Georg Tressler’s film Sukkubus. Or perhaps I am guessing wrong, and Tressler made the film precisely because the legend is so weird that it was perfect for a good genre film.

All of the events in the film take place at a remote location somewhere high up in the Swiss Alps where the three cattlemen look after their cows and prepare fresh cheese. The area is indescribably beautiful, but it isn’t long before it is made clear that only the shepherds can survive there -- cold weather and heavy winds routinely test them in the worst ways imaginable.

At night, the youngest one, who is still a boy, cooks for them, but before, during and after dinner they barely talk. Occasionally, one of them becomes unruly and creates minor drama, but always backs away and goes to sleep. The eldest one, who is the strongest of the three, knows how to quickly subdue the troublemaker too, so during the few times when he attempts to play a dirty game with the youngest one, he is instantly confronted.

The cycle of repetitive events at the farm is permanently disrupted when the cattlemen discover a strange piece of wood resembling a skull, which they use to create a female doll that is promptly invited at their table. Soon after, the silent doll has such profound impact on their minds that two of them force it to make love to them. Then they do it again, and again, and again. Eventually, having endured a tremendous amount of abuse, the unresponsive doll comes alive as a stunningly beautiful yet vicious female demon, and then slowly but surely begins pushing the cattlemen into the abyss of madness.

A product of the ‘80s, Sukkubus offers the type of genre entertainment you can actually get from a very popular ‘70s film, The Wicker Man, which is set in another very picturesque area on the Old Continent where an evil force is unleashed in a fairly similar manner. Sukkubus is a much smaller film, but it relies on the exact same trick to impress -- it flips the identity of an area that looks very, very wrong for a horror adventure.

But Tressler shoots the Swiss Alps as if they are the perfect playground for the angry demon. Indeed, the rugged terrain and the typically breathtakingly beautiful snowy hills suddenly become quite intimidating, at times even genuinely spooky, and once the demon goes after the cattlemen, the entire area begins to look haunted.

There is something genuinely creepy that floats in the air, too. It is easy to link it to the demon’s presence, but it is actually something else. As the cattlemen gather around the table and occasionally quarrel, you get the feeling that they share a very dark history together, and that perhaps the demon is just a creation of their twisted minds. It is difficult to identify precisely what the creepy is, but together with the unusual transformation of the Swiss Alps it contributes to a very unusual atmosphere.

The acting is appropriately fluid and at times perhaps best to describe as bold because there is some quite edgy material in the second half of the film. A younger Peter Simonischek plays one of the cattlemen, but probably not a lot of people will recognize him and recall that he appeared in the Oscar-nominated charmer Toni Erdmann.

Sukkubus Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.66:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Sukkubus arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Mondo Macabro.

We recently reviewed German label Subkultur Entertainment's Region-B release of Sukkubus here. This release is sourced from the same master that was used to prepare the German release, but I need to make a small clarification. After we published our review, we were told that the film was restored in 2K, not 4K. Mondo Macabro's release states that it was restored in 4K as well, so keep this in mind.

Obviously, my take on the restoration work remains the same. I think that the entire film looks quite impressive now, remarkably healthy as well, so whether the master was finalized in 2K or 4K is basically irrelevant. Without having seen the film before, I can comfortably state that the grading work is very convincing as well. How do I know this exactly? Because it is very easy to see that the current balance between the primaries and supporting nuances is such that it actually strengthens the dynamic range of the visuals. When the balance isn't right, and especially when there are awkward changes with digital roots, the exact opposite scenario is present. Image stability is outstanding.

The only notable discrepancy between Subkultur Entertainment's release and Mondo Macabro's release is in the size of the file for the main feature. The former uses a bigger file on a dual-layer disc, while the latter uses a smaller file on a single-layer disc. So, if you project, you should keep this detail in mind. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Sukkubus Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: German DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature. However, if you decided to turn them off, you will have to use your remote control because there is no option do so via the main menu.

The film does not have an elaborate music score. It uses all kinds of different organic sounds and noises to build its atmosphere, so the dynamic contrasts are quite modest. The dialog is very basic as well. The English translation is excellent.

Sukkubus Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Interview with Actor Peter Simonischek - in this new video interview, Peter Simonischek discusses the early stages of his acting career -- which did not begin until he emerged victories from his ongoing clashes with his father, described by the actor as a very determined "control freak" who first wanted him to be a doctor, then a dentist, and eventually an engineer -- and contribution to Sukkubus. Also, Mr. Simonischek has some very interesting comments about the Swiss legend that inspired the film as well as some very funny comments about Pamela Prati, the "daughter of a Sardinian shepherd". Great interview. In German, with English subtitles. (30 min).

• Trailer - an original German trailer for Sukkubus. Restored. In German, with English subtitles. (34 min).

Sukkubus Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I could tell that Sukkubus would be a different film even before the emergence of the demon because there was something very unique about its atmosphere. Even though it comes from the '80s, it reminded me of the '70s classic horror thriller The Wicker Man, which does some very similar things to alter the identity of the Scottish town of Galloway. I thought that this was very interesting, and after viewing an archival interview with Georg Tressler where he discusses the state of German cinema and references the styles of different international directors, I am quite certain that there is a legit connection between the two films.

This release is sourced from the same excellent 2K restoration -- not 4K restoration as initially reported -- that the folks at German label Subkultur Entertainment prepared and introduced in 2021. Sukkubus is a small film, but I liked it so much and was so impressed by the restoration that at the end of December I ended up placing the German release on my Top Ten international list. So, if you like different and very atmospheric films, pick up Mondo Macabro's North American release for your library. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.