On the front cover of the DVD for Necromentia, one critic compares the film to movies like of Saw and Hellraiser. That statement is truer than one can imagine as the writers of this film really took a lot of elements from not just those two films, but many other torture films of the past few years such as Hostel and Martyrs. While many have praised this film for its unique look and complex story, I, for one, found it almost exhausting to watch. Sure, the film has some great effects and a wonderful array of fantasy elements, but the story is all over the place.
Necromenta is about three men who use the art of torture and shock to open the gates to Hell. They are looking for something: one man wants to reunite with his dead girlfriend, another is looking to save his brother’s troubled soul, one is looking for nothing but revenge. In order for the men to open the gates of Hell, they must carve an ancient map into the flesh of one of the men. They find themselves surrounded by demons that not only torture them with memories of their past sins, but also put them through psychical hell.
Necromentia is a film that mainly relies on its shock of torture and gore to put itself over as a shocking horror film. It does have some very creative use of visual and special effects, some of which may be firsts in horror film. The film does however scream Clive Barker and Hellraiser, more so than it does any other film. The Demons remind us of Cenobites, not just by their look, but they way in which they talk and communicate to the souls they victimize. The film has some great production values with sets that look similar to a films like tehe Saw films or in some cases House of a 1000 Corpses. I give the film credit for its stunning effects and set design, but the story is a runaround of confusing drama that made me lose my focus of what is really going on.
The DVD has a few special features which include commentary with director Pearry Teo and the cast of the film, interviews with the director and actor Chad Grimes and the films trailer. There really is not much but you do get a little information about what the film is about thanks to the commentary and interviews.
Overall, Necromentia is a film that visually is amazing, but is nothing better than the recent glut of convincing torture porn films. There is nothing new to see here. Move along.
– Horror Bob
- Interview with J.R. Bookwalter - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Andrew J. Rausch - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Rick Popko and Dan West - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Director Stevan Mena (Malevolence) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Screenwriter Jeffery Reddick (Day of the Dead 2007) - January 22, 2015
- Teleconference interview with Mick Garris (Masters of Horror) - January 22, 2015
- A Day at the Morgue with Corri English (Unrest) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Writer/Director Nacho Cerda (The Abandoned, Aftermath) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actress Thora Birch (Dark Corners, The Hole, American Beauty) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actor Jason Behr, Plus Skinwalkers Press Coverage - January 22, 2015
