And that’s why it is a bad idea to eat the eye out of a freshly-killed deer.
As a fan of Continuum and of Rachel Nichols’ portrayal as Kiera Cameron in that series (which was never given a fair shake), there was no way I was going to miss seeing her in a brand-new horror film. Thankfully, Demigod is in itself a surprise as it throws you deep into the heart that beats about in the murderous heart of Germany’s Black Forest.
Kicking things off with a very grisly opening, we witness just how dark this movie is going to get as a woman gives birth to a child . . . with horns. The shadow cast on the wall is all we need to see for confirmation that, yes, we are held captive in Satan’s lair. Okay, well maybe not The Horned One himself, but a hunting cult that is really, really, REALLY into the forest and the monster that walks within it.
Robin (Nichols) and Leo (Yohance Myles, First Family) know little about the tall, tall tales happening within these tall, tall trees, but upon visiting Robin’s late grandfather (played by Jeremy London)’s home - the place where she was born - they are soon immersed in a legend that will leave them both longing for quieter days. That’s what happens when THE SUPREME HUNTER (Chukwuma Onwuchekwa) and his witches - Hettica (Lindsay Anne Williams), Fell (Sarah Fisher) and Latara (Elena Sanchez) - take an interest in your daily activities.
Turns out, she was better off never returning to this scary ass place. A promised fulfilled, when dealing with the supernatural, is never EVER a good thing.
While the first 30-minutes of the film takes its time with the suspense and with the world-building, we are soon tuned in to a familiar situation as the monster in the woods rears its ugly head. It turns out that the servants of the deity Cernunnos are releasing prey into the forest and they have every intention in making sure that the supreme hunter is satisfied with his kills. 
Directed by Miles Doleac, who previously turned heads with The Dinner Party and Hallowed Ground, Demigod continues to walk straight into the supernatural realm that the director knows (and delivers on). There is violence. There is kidnapping. There BE MONSTERS! Everything is as we expect it to be when the forest comes alive and strikes to recapture what escaped long ago. Thankfully, the lessons of his previous films have been learned and the momentum is sped up, creating a suspenseful journey into the darkest of places. Even if his films are a wee bit dialogue heavy, here he gets us to the thick of it sooner than before.
Demigod, being the (thankfully) tightest of Doleac’s films, knows its way around the THRILLS and KILLS of the creature feature genre, and it doesn’t worry about looking ridiculous in a cape either. I mean, the towering figure that is struck by the mighty Cernunnos is both intimidating and unforgettable and his brooding witches will definitely leave scars in your retinas. Is it a perfect horror film? No, there are moments that could be improved sprinkled throughout the action; however, Demigod does leave you with a fair share of spooks and scares as we get closer to the bleeding heart of darkness in the matter.
Der Black Forest of Deutschland (but really somewhere in Mississippi) gets delightfully devoured in Demigod! The thriller is now playing in select theaters and On Demand from Gravitas Ventures.
MPAA Rating: Unrated.
Runtime: 95 mins
Director: Miles Doleac
Writer: Miles Doleac; Michael Donovan Horn
Cast: Rachel Nichols; Yohance Myles; Miles Doleac
Genre: Horror
Tagline: His time has come.
Memorable Movie Quote:
Distributor: Gravitas Ventures
Official Site:
Release Date: October 15, 2021
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
Synopsis: Upon the death of her grandfather, a woman and her husband return to her birthplace in Germany's Black Forest, only to find a terrifying secret awaits them.
