Sometimes you watch a movie that makes you step away from the screen for a while and say, “What the hell did I just watch!” Succubus is a horror movie from the mind of RJ Daniel Hanna that tackles dating in today’s age and puts a twist on it. Imagine joining a dating app and the woman you match with has sinister plans for you. Christopher, played by Brendan Bradly, is a husband and father, who is emotionally drained. Chris and his wife are on a trial separation and he is watching over his son while his wife is at a bachelor party. Chris’s friend Eddie, played by Derek Smith, eggs him on to create a dating profile and walks him through how it works. Feeling reluctant Chris goes along and creates a profile and starts swiping through the women he sees.
The movie has an interesting way of telling the story by using phones, laptop screens, and nanny cams. This minimal way of telling the story gives it a claustrophobic feel mimicking the life of Chris. Chris feels alone and trapped but his world opens up a little when he matches with Adra, played by Rachel Cook. Adra’s world is more shuttered than Chris’s because all we see is her in one room. Adra tempts Chris with her sensualness and he slowly falls under her spell. She tells Chris she is being held captive and needs him to rescue her. In his shattered state, Chris wants to help Adra and that is when his world begins to crumble.
At the same time that this is going on, Orion Zepher, played magnificently by Ron Pearlman, contacts Chris about the woman he was speaking to. He tries to warn him about the danger he is walking into but Chris does not believe him. It seems that Orion has dealt with women like Adra before and knows what they are up to. Chris does not believe Orion and feels that he is a madman because of the information that Adra has given him about Orion. Ron Pearlman seems to be having a lot of fun in this role and I hope we get to a series of him hunting down succubi in the future. The confrontation between Chris, Adra, and Orion is one filled with tension and will have your anxiety levels up.
What is a horror movie without some kills? While there are not many kills in the movie, the moment one happens, it is insane. Director Hanna used practical effects for one kill in this movie and it is a doozy! The moment is edited in such a way that it feels longer than it is but will have you looking away from your screen in disbelief. This kill will rival the yoga death scene from In a Violent Nature. Another great use of practical effects is seeing Adra in her final form. I would love to see more images of her in this state and maybe we will see more behind-the-scenes moments in the home release.
Final Thoughts: Succubus is the type of horror movie that makes you think it is going one way and takes a sharp turn. The feeling of loneliness and heartache that Chris feels is universal for many adults. This feeling also makes it difficult for Chris to make poor choices that lead him to fall for a succubus. Adra is a character that will stay with you after the movie is over and hopefully, we will get to see how she came to be one day. Succubus will become a cult classic in the years to come!
Kid-Friendly: Succubus is not for younger kids because of its sexual nature and graphic violence. This might be suitable for children 17 and up.
Violence: There are scenes of body horror in this movie that will make you squirm in your seats. One of the deaths will rival the yoga death from In a Violent Nature.
Coached by his over-sexed friend Eddie, Chris, a new father, joins the StarCrossed dating app “just to see what’s out there,” and eventually comes to the conclusion he should probably rekindle things with his estranged wife. But when he matches with Adra, a seductive young woman with a mysterious past, his curiosity gets the better of him, and he finds himself getting sucked into her world even as his own life falls apart. As Chris, Eddie, and Adra’s stalker, Dr. Zephyr circle her, Adra’s power grows, finally revealing her harrowing true nature.