Main cast: Fiona Dourif (Jules), Jordan Belfi (Matty), Malin Crépin (Martha Benchley), Harris Dickinson (Ben), Randy Wayne (Wolf), Phan Nhu Thao (Annie), Konglar Kanchanahot (The Monk), and William Miller (Ian Benchley)
Director: Brando Lee
Don’t Look at the Demon is said to be set in Fraser Hill, Malaysia, but everything about it screams “Thailand!”
Not that this is necessarily a bad move, as incorporating Malay woo-woo elements will likely cause a lot of unnecessary drama from the Malaysian government and religious bodies. Still, folks expecting horror of a more Malaysian flavor has better adjust their expectations first.
This movie follows the Asian horror movie formula so closely that I can practically the bullet points flashing on the screen.
We need to tie the woo-woo to the protagonist, so as a child, Jules and her sister tried to summon the ghost of a guy her sister had a crush on. The result was the sister’s death. Yes, the demon follows Jules all the way from America to here… somehow, I think. It’s just a demon-y thing, so I guess it’s better not try to think too much about it.
Jules and her team travel around the world as Skeleton Crew, a team of woo-woo investigators. They are contacted by Ian and Martha Benchley, a pair of expats in Fraser Hill, to investigate the hauntings of their home that they purchased for super cheap.
Meanwhile, there is the Thai monk that will provide all the convenient exposition to explain everything as well as to do monk ex machina woo-woo rituals to advance the plot.
Along the way, there are the predictable jump scares, apparitions showing up beside or behind someone just to “BOO-YAH!” the audience, and a twist ending that can be seen coming from a mile away should one had seen enough Asian horror films.
The cast members, including Brad Dourif’s daughter, actually put in more effort than the script deserves, which elevates this movie somewhat. Still, the story is so played by numbers that I am hard pressed to feel much enthusiasm for it.
All in all, this is a movie best watched by tourists to the horror genre as they are far less familiar with the tropes present here. Otherwise, like me, one may end up feeling underwhelmed by the whole thing. It’s a shame, really. They have the exotic setting, but they can’t inject much life into the Asian horror clichés for dummies story.
