Sukkubus

SUKKUBUS original trailer from Mondo Macabro on Vimeo.

Director - Georg Tressler (Ship of the Dead, Two Worlds)

Starring - Peter Simonischek (Army of Thieves, Speer), Giovanni Fruh (Cinema 16, The Frozen Heart), and Andy Vob (Lutz and Hardy, Anderland)

Release Date - 1989

Genre - Horror/Fantasy

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Recently Mondo Macabro announced the release of four new titles.  One of the titles, Hiruko the Goblin, was one that really caught my eye.  I had never seen it but I've owned the DVD for years and never opened it.  Once I actually got these releases in my hand I found myself drawn to the 1989 fantasy horror film Sukkubus.  I had never heard of it but I can't resist a good folk horror film.  I decided that this would be my second film in my marathon and when I hit play I was not expecting to love this one as much as I did.  Id like to thank CAV and Mondo Macabro for sending this one over to review.  It was a fantastic watch and an amazing film.

     The film follows a teenage boy and two cattle herders living in the scenic mountain regions of Switzerland in the 19th century.  They take their herd to the Black Mountains for several days and while in their cabin they drink schnapps.  Drunk and horny, they two men build a women out of hay, rags, and a strange root that resembles a face.  They feed it, offer it drinks, and before long the two men try to fuck it.  However, something strange happens when it's hips start moving in turn with the men's.  They chalk it up to a night of drinking and go to bed.  The next day everything seems fine until they find out that their drunken game as freed a sukkubus and she has her sights set on the three shepherds.  

     Sukkubus is not a traditional horror film.  It's mostly a fantasy drama film that is centered around isolation, sexual desires, and survival.  The horror elements are subtle and mostly at the end of the film but they are still there.  Regardless of the genre of this film it was still a fantastic watch.  Another fantastic film to Mondo Macabro's catalog.    The acting in this one is solid.  The cast is small but everyone works great together.  The characters are perfectly written for the story which gave the cast something to work with.  I liked the characters, the performances from the cast, and how they fit with the film but the succubus was very underwhelming.  She's in the film for such a short amount of time and never given a chance to showcase her talents.  The story for this one is so simple but it works.  The movie is drawn out but it's not boring.  We get a lot of character development through these longer scenes yet they don't feel boring or dull.  They work with the characters to progress the film and not drag it down.  I really enjoyed the story but the lack of succubus on screen was a bit disappointing.  Finally, the film doesn't really have any blood or gore.  We get a small instance of make-up effects and a few shots of classic camera tricks but that's about it.  Overall, Sukkubus was a fantastic release from Mondo Macabro.  This is easily in my top 5 favorite releases from them and one I would highly recommend snagging for your collection.  Check it out, it's well worth it.