The compelling evil mystery Something Wicked comes out on DVD this week and it’s actually pretty good for the genre. The direction does get off kilter a bit, but the acting makes up for it. The twists tighten up in the finale so keep trying to figure it out, after all that’s the fun in it. The best way to watch the film is with a group of friends, late night with a loved one or just a few gal pals and a bottle of whatever.
The story opens with Christine (Shantel VanSanten) and James (John Robinson) and her parents celebrating her High School Graduation at a restaurant. James makes a huge mistake by asking Christine’s parents if he can take his romance with their daughter to the next level and get engaged. They feel the two are not established in life, especially since Christine will be attending college and he will be separated from her working at the log mill. They are stern and emphatic about it and Christine caves into their demands.
On the way back home with James driving, the rain pouring out of the sky and limited visibility, the car gets hit by a train and takes the lives of Christine’s parents. Director Darin Scott who specializes in horror lays out the plot in good order keeping it suspenseful and interesting. He has his audience guessing on who the adversary may be that’s attacking Christine after a year has passed showing glimpses of a masked hooded person in several scenes. He also works in others implicating them with motives for assaults on the young woman.
Two other characters are brought into the mix, Bill (James Patrick Stuart) and Susan (Brittany Murphy), Christine’s brother and sister-in-law. Each are acting strange and the acting between the two and Shantel VanSanten as Christine gets increasingly good as the film progresses. They had taken Christine into their home when the parents were killed, but are confused over who would want to attack Christine. Having problems of their own they avoid taking on Christine’s, but their sexuality has become an issue since she entered their living space. As the problems and situations pop up, the story becomes more and more complicated in a good way.
Something Wicked has rated R by the MPAA for violence, sexuality and language. There is also a shot of brief nudity and a scene of brutality. No one under the age of 17 should watch the film without an adult present due to its content.
Specifications and additional video information:
Cast: Shantel VanSanten, John Robinson, Julian Morris, James Patrick Stuart and Brittany Murphy
Director: Darin Scott
MPAA Rating: R for violence, sexuality and language
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Suspense
Running Time: 1 hr. 35 min
Original Theatrical Release Date: September 12, 2014
Video Release Date: March 17, 2015
Language: English
Format: DVD
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1
Video: 16×9 Aspect Ratio 2.35:1
Subtitles: CC only
Number of Discs: 1 Disc
Distributed by: ARC Entertainment
Writer, critic, film editor John Delia, Sr. has been on all sides of the movie business from publications to film making. He has worked as a film critic with ACED Magazine for more than 20 years and other publications for a total of 40 years. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Florida. John is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association and Critics Association of Central Florida Send John a message at jdelia@acedmagazine.com
