Revelator

Director - J. Van Auken (The Last Cosmonaut, 1916)
Starring - J. Van Auken, Mindy Rae (Criminal Minds, The Undercard), Barrow Davis-Tolot (Children's Hospital, Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later)
Release Date - 2017
Genre - Thriller/Crime
Tagline - "John Dunning sees the dead.  Now they see him"
Format - DVD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     We are now just 10 days (as of my typing this) from Halloween.  Halloween films will be playing in full force in my home along with some horror flicks that I need to review.  After taking a break from horror to check out the new Richard Griffin comedy Strapped for Danger I decided to toss in the supernatural thriller Revelator from director J. Van Auken.  This one was recently released by Midnight Releasing.  Auken reached out to me not long ago to review the film and I couldn't tell him no.  The artwork really sold me on the film and as soon as I had the time I tossed it in.  Thanks for allowing myself and Horror Society the opportunity to see your movie!

     The film follows the disgraced John Dunning (Auken) who is a failed medium known for seeing the dead.  While many people believe him to be a fraud he has his usual cliental which has landed him in a peculiar situation.  A local blogger has asked to do a piece on him and he agrees where he learns shortly after that one of his former clients has passed away and left him her mansion on a private island.  Her son and brother are now fighting over the island due to it is centered in the middle of a water way contract and gains a rather large sum of money per the contract.  Now John in thrust in the middle of an organized crime battle and solving the murder or a man who John can see but he can see John in return.

     I didn't know what to expect from Revelator.  The artwork alone sold me on the film.  I love how dark and simple it is.  It makes the mind wonder and flow with imagination as to what the film is.  The film itself is more crime thriller than horror but it still has that spooky feel that makes horror movies so much fun in October.  The acting in this one is great.  The film's leads, Auken and Mindy Rae, work very well together.  They feed off of each other and deliver fantastic performances.  The supporting cast is just as enjoyable but these two stand out among the crowd which makes sense considering the film is centered around them.  The story for this one is more crime than anything.  It is heavily centered around organized crime with the supernatural elements placed throughout to fill in the gaps.  This doesn't make it a bad film.  Not at all.  I actually really enjoyed the story and like how it played out.  It would have been a lot more entertaining with the spirit angle was used more but it still works the way it is.  The film does have a few slow scenes scattered throughout but nothing that would take away from the overall film.  Finally, the film does have a few deaths.  These are very quick and sudden with great practical effects but the stand out moments of the film is how the dead look.  I really enjoyed how bleak and depressed they looked.  I would have loved to see more of this.  Overall, Revelator was a very unique and fun film experience.  The film may not reinvent the genre but it definitely contributes to it.  Be sure to check this one out now from Midnight Releasing.