- Director : Jeff Lieberman
- Actors : Katheryn Winnick, Amanda Plummer, Alexander Brickel
- Studio : Synapse Films
- MPAA rating : R (Restricted)
- Country of Origin : USA
- Number of discs : 1
- Media Format : NTSC, Widescreen, Surround Sound, Anamorphic
- Run time : 1 hour and 40 minutes
- Release date : October 25, 2022
The dark premise for the horror film Satan’s
Little Helper is boldly original, with just enough social satire to go with
the carnage expected from the slasher sub-genre. Suspension of disbelief is a
must to be able to enjoy the plot, which is more than a little absurd at times.
In some ways that actually adds to the campy fun of the film, while other times
it just feels like a cheaply made straight-to-DVD horror film that was sloppily
thrown together. While the premise is great, the execution often leaves
something to be desired.
The film follows
nine-year-old Douglas 'Dougie' Whooly (Alexander Brickel), a seemingly average
kid aside from his obsession with an odd video game in which Satan is the hero.
When Dougie’s older sister Jenna (Katheryn Winnick) returns home from college
for Halloween, he is disappointed to find that she brought along her new
boyfriend Alex (Stephen Graham). Upset at his sister, Dougie asks a serial
killer dressed as Satan to help him by sending Alex to hell, mistakenly believing
his new friend is the character from his video game. The masked psycho
complies, bringing violence and carnage to the disturbed young boy’s life.
While Dougie’s
mistake is understandable given his age, it is less believable when the rest of
the family believes the killer is Alex in a costume. They don’t seem to have a
problem with the fact that he stops talking and Jenna even gets intimate with
the masked killer believing it is her boyfriend. This is very difficult to
believe, but humorously campy nevertheless. Despite the violence in Satan’s
Little Helper, much of the movie comes off more like a comedy than a horror film.
Even the look of the film is more like a comedy than horror, with most of the
scenes brightly lit in a way that would have fit better with a cheerful narrative.
The Blu-ray
release for Satan’s Little Helper from Synapse Films comes with an audio commentary
from director Jeff Lieberman. There are also three featurettes included in the
extras. The first is a vintage behind-the-scenes look at the production, while
the others include a newer making-of featurette and a tour of the movie’s filming
locations guided by Lieberman. There are also newly translated subtitles for
the hearing impaired and a promotional trailer.
Entertainment Value:
6/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 5/10
Historical
Significance: 2/10
Special Features: 7/10
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