Starring - Raffaela Perra O'Neil, Aundra Goodrum, Cat LaCohie
Release Date - 2015
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "Obsession. Revenge. And otherworldly consequences"
Format - DVD (Personal Collection) (Screener)
Rating (out of 5):
If you have been following my reviews then you may have noticed that I have been in a shitty movie slump for a week or two after reviewing The Zombinator, The Day of the Dead, and Jezebeth. These three films are three of the lowest rated reviews to date and all three were done just days apart. After watching these films I decided to take a day or two away from writing reviews and decided to watch a few comedies, The Naked Gun and The Naked Gun 2 1/2 to be exact, to get the taste of shit out of my mouth. When I was ready to get another review going I had received the short Devil's Work from my friend in horror, David Langill. David has sent me news and reviews for awhile now and I always look forward to anything he has been apart of. Thanks David for allowing me to check this one out.
The film begins with two couples enjoying dinner and wine while the kids play video games in the other room. The two couples reminisce about old times and past lovers when a joke goes a little far. One of the young ladies visits the bathroom and is attacked by a man. Everyone hears the commotion and runs to the bathroom door but are unable to get in but she is able to break his grasp and escape. She leaves along with her man leaving the other couple and their children behind. They put the children to bed and the mother decides its the perfect time to shower. While in the shower, her husband ventures outside and is murdered by the unknown man. His body is then discovered by his wife and their daughter. 
Shorts can be a blessing and a curse. Shorts are able to skip on the boring dialogue and unnecessary scenes to get the viewer straight in to the action. With that being said, the short has to overcome the short running time to tell the full story while entertaining the viewer. Personally, I like short films that are able to give me the best of both worlds. When I saw that Devil's Work was just a little over 10 minutes I was afraid the film would skip on the story and deliver on the horror. However, the film put that concern to rest within just a few minutes...for the most part. The acting in this one is solid by the entire cast. They all fit into their roles perfectly and that made the film flow very well. This is crucial for any short to work. The story for this one is fun but does not capitalize on the story's true potential. The film starts out innocent and then quickly escalates until the film culminates into a brooding horror film with some amazing atmosphere and a great deal of suspense. Sadly, the film does not offer much of a back story that is believable. The viewer needs to know more about the murderous man. Also, the film has the potential to be really bloody and gory flick to pacify the most hardcore of the gorehounds but does not. Finally, the film does lack on screen kills and the special effects that go into making them so fun. The film goes the high road and delivers on the chills instead of the gore. Overall, Devil's Work is a solid short that offers up some great atmosphere and suspense that leaves chills. Check this one out.
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