Written and directed by T.C. De Witt, Miles Mako, a professional exorcist, takes on a new client after she encounters a demonic presence who may have links to the detective’s dark past. Starring: Dustyn Gulledge, Eugene Young, Dani J. Scott, Tom Virtue, Matt Rasku, Joy Regullano, Vivica A. Fox, Adrienne Barbeau and Doug Jones.
It’s a pretty familiar setup, a brooding man with past trauma which led to a life of saving people from supernatural threats. A certain amount of The Demon Detective is fairly generic, it can be cheesy and stereotypical, but there are other elements which make up for that. Firstly, the effects work which is well done, an element which a lot of other films fall short with, but here it’s surprisingly decent and fun to watch.
While at times Dustyn Gulledge can feel like he’s doing a wonky Shakespearean recitation, he creates an entertaining character in Miles and he’s easy to watch. Particularly when he’s paired with Eugene Young who has plenty of charm to bring to the table. The two have a great buddy-cop chemistry, which has a nice balance. The performances only improve further when heavy-hitter horror legends Adrienne Barbeau and Doug Jones come onto the scene.
The authenticity and presence that they both bring takes The Demon Detective to another level. Something which unfortunately doesn’t happen until quite late in the film. It takes too long to reach their characters when they have such value to add and really improve the tone. Without them the story is predictable and relatively average.
The Demon Detective can be formulaic and does get rather cheesy at times, but it is entertaining. You know what you’re getting, and it doesn’t disappoint. It vastly improves when Adrienne Barbeau and Doug Jones enter the equation, they elevate the film and add more personality and creativity. The writing has a good sense of humour, and Dustyn Gulledge and Eugene Young make for an enjoyable duo. It’s by the book but it’s worth the watch for dedicated horror fans looking for some easy entertainment.
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