SATANIC (2016)

Summary:

Satanic is a supernatural horror film that follows a group of four college friends on a road trip to Coachella. Seeking a thrill, they decide to detour from their planned route to visit various occult sites in Los Angeles, including the infamous Black House and the scene of the Tate murders. Their morbid curiosity leads them to a satanic occult shop, where a seemingly innocent encounter with a young woman working there takes a sinister turn, drawing them into a terrifying spiral of demonic possession and ritualistic horror.

What begins as a misguided adventure quickly escalates into a fight for survival as the friends find themselves targeted by a malevolent entity. The film explores themes of youthful recklessness, the dangers of dabbling in the unknown, and the irreversible consequences of disturbing ancient evils. As the group attempts to understand and escape the supernatural forces hunting them, they uncover dark secrets and face unimaginable horrors, realizing too late that some doors, once opened, can never be closed.

Keywords: Satanic, 2016, Sarah Hyland, Justin Chon, Horror, Supernatural.

Plot:

The film opens with a group of four friends – Chloe, Elise, David, and Seth – embarking on a road trip from their college in Arizona to the Coachella music festival in California. Chloe, a seemingly innocent and somewhat naive character, is the girlfriend of David, the pragmatic and often skeptical leader of the group. Elise, Chloe's best friend, is more adventurous and impulsive, always looking for excitement, while Seth, Elise's boyfriend, is the quiet and artistic member, often documenting their journey with his camera. Their initial plan for a fun-filled weekend at a music festival quickly veers off course when Elise, driven by a fascination with the macabre, convinces the others to visit various infamous occult and true crime locations in Los Angeles before heading to the desert. Their first stop is the notorious Black House, a supposed hub of satanic activity, which they find underwhelming and mundane.

Undeterred, Elise leads them to a satanic occult shop, a dimly lit establishment filled with strange artifacts and books. While browsing, they encounter a young woman named Mina, who works there. Mina appears distressed and withdrawn, leading Elise to believe she might be a victim of some cult activity. The friends witness a brief, unsettling interaction between Mina and the shop owner, who seems to be her guardian or a figure of authority, further fueling their suspicions. Later that evening, after leaving the shop, the friends learn that Mina has been reported missing. Driven by a mixture of concern and morbid curiosity, Elise convinces the group to return to the shop, where they find it deserted. They decide to break in, hoping to find clues about Mina's disappearance. Inside, they discover evidence of a ritual, including strange symbols and a pentagram drawn on the floor. While investigating, they hear noises and find Mina locked in a back room, seemingly held captive. She appears disoriented and speaks in a strange, guttural voice, claiming she was being "purified."

Despite David's strong objections and warnings, the sympathetic friends decide to "rescue" Mina and take her with them, intending to drop her off at a safe location or contact the authorities. However, Mina's behavior becomes increasingly erratic and disturbing. She exhibits signs of possession, speaking in tongues, displaying unusual strength, and making cryptic, threatening remarks. The group's attempts to understand her condition are met with escalating fear and confusion. During their journey, they stop at a motel for the night. The supernatural occurrences begin to intensify, affecting each member of the group. Objects move on their own, strange noises echo through their rooms, and they experience vivid, terrifying hallucinations. Mina's presence seems to be a magnet for these dark forces, and it becomes clear that bringing her along was a grave mistake. One particularly chilling incident involves Mina seemingly communicating with an unseen entity, uttering prophecies and threats that directly relate to the friends' lives and secrets.

The horror escalates when the group realizes they are no longer just witnessing supernatural phenomena but are actively being targeted. Mina reveals that she was part of a satanic cult, and by interfering with her "purification," they have incurred the wrath of powerful demonic forces. She explains that the cult was preparing her for a sacrifice, and now the entity that was meant to claim her is coming for them instead. The friends are trapped, unable to shake off the malevolent presence that follows them. Their attempts to call for help or escape are thwarted by the entity, which seems to manipulate their surroundings and isolate them further. One by one, the friends begin to experience terrifying and violent encounters. Seth, the first to truly break under the pressure, becomes increasingly paranoid and withdrawn. He starts seeing things that aren't there and eventually falls victim to a horrifying attack, his demise marking a significant turning point for the remaining survivors.

As the body count rises, the remaining friends, Chloe, Elise, and David, realize they are in a fight for their lives. They desperately try to find a way to sever their connection to the entity and Mina. They consult old books and online resources, looking for ways to perform an exorcism or a protective ritual, but their knowledge is limited, and time is running out. Mina, oscillating between moments of lucidity and demonic control, occasionally offers cryptic clues, but mostly serves as a vessel for the entity's terror. The group discovers that the cult's ritual was designed to bind a powerful demon to Mina, and by "rescuing" her, they inadvertently became part of the ritual, effectively "taking her place" as potential sacrifices. The entity requires souls, and the cult had merely picked Mina as its next offering. Now, with Mina free (or at least no longer actively bound), the entity is free to pursue those who interfered.

The climax unfolds as the entity corners the remaining friends. David, driven by a desperate need to protect Chloe, tries to confront the entity directly, but his skepticism and lack of understanding prove futile against such ancient evil. Elise, initially the most adventurous, becomes consumed by fear and guilt, realizing her impulsive decisions led them to this horrific predicament. The entity uses their fears and weaknesses against them, tormenting them psychologically before delivering physical blows. In a horrifying sequence, David is brutally dispatched, leaving Chloe and Elise alone against the malevolent force. The final confrontation takes place in a secluded, desolate location, emphasizing their isolation and vulnerability. Chloe, who had been the most timid, finds a surge of courage, attempting to fight back or at least buy time for Elise. However, the entity is too powerful. The film culminates in a chilling scene where Elise is captured and subjected to a gruesome fate, implied to be a ritualistic sacrifice similar to what was intended for Mina. Chloe is left as the sole survivor, but her survival is ambiguous. The entity, now having claimed its sacrifices, leaves her alive but irrevocably scarred, implying she is either possessed, a witness meant to spread fear, or simply left to live with the unimaginable trauma. The final shot is often left open-ended, hinting that the horror is far from over, and Chloe's ordeal has only just begun, or that she herself has become a vessel for the evil she encountered.

Cast (Lead Roles):

• Sarah Hyland as Chloe
• Justin Chon as David
• Clara Mamet as Elise
• Steven Krueger as Seth
• Sophie Dalah as Mina

Crew:

• Director: Jeffrey G. Hunt
• Writer: Anthony Jaswinski
• Producers: Lawrence Mattis, Stephen J. Eads, Alex Cutler
• Cinematography: Brandon Cox
• Film Editing: Jeff Betancourt

Release Info:

• Original Release Date: July 5, 2016 (VOD)
• Language: English
• Genre: Horror
• Running Time: 85 minutes
• Accolades: None listed