The Good Things Devils Do (2020)

It took me a while, but I finally finished the review for Jess Norvisgaard’s feature debut, The Good Things Devils Do. I watched the film a few weeks before writing the review, but needed time to mull it over in my head and come to some conclusions as to what I think about the film… But mostly it was because I wanted to give this film the respect I felt it deserves and write the best review I possibly can.

By the time the film fell into my lap, word was already going around about it in indie horror circles. It seems to have caught most reviewers by surprise, mostly due to the fact that it has three indie horror legends in the cast, yet has not received much press at the time these reviewers got to see it. I try to avoid watching trailers or reading reviews before watching a film, which I avoided here as well, but I did hear the chatter, which had me intrigued.

I’ve heard a lot of people compare the film to Evil Dead and Night of the Demons (among other horror classics). In my humble opinion, this film has more of a Creepshow vibe, but the intent seems to be more in the direction of From Dusk Till Dawn. It even succeeds, to an extent. Granted, it does not have the same level of “cool” that the Robert Rodriguez-helmed classic possesses, but then again, it also does not have the budget Dusk Till Dawn had, nor the star power of Clooney, Keitel, Tarantino, Juliette Lewis, Salma Hayek, Cheech Marin, Fred Willamson, Danny Trejo, John Hawkes, Michael Parks and Tom Savini, as well as the late Kelly Preston and John Saxon, may they rest in peace. Even Greg Nicotero made an appearance! Still, The Good Things Devils Do (TGTDD), does have its own indie-level cool with some decent names here, with its trio of indie horror legends mentioned earlier, namely Kane Hodder, Linnea Quigley and Bill Oberst, Jr. It also has an abundance of grit and indie spirit!

First time feature filmmaker, Jess Norvisgaard wasn’t exactly given lemons with his trio of legends… and full respect to him just for managing to get all three to appear in his feature debut! I assume that task in itself wasn’t easy. Then again, even if he had been given lemons, I’m sure he would just shrug it off and loudly exclaim that when life gives you lemons… you make a gory, bloody mess! Norvisgaard didn’t get to make From Dusk Till Dawn, he got to make The Good Things Devils Do and with his passion and drive he was going to do as awesome a job as he possibly could, no matter what. And he did.

TGTDD seesaws between an action-horror and a horror-comedy affair. That does create some unevenness in pace and feel, which can be attributed somewhat to the From Dusk Till Dawn homage. However, the film as a whole, in my opinion, is a love letter to 80s horror. Some of us can still remember the time when we used to pop into the video store (yes, video. V H S !!) and grab a few films to watch for the week or weekend. I’d always try to grab “one of each”: a comedy, a western, a drama, an action flick, a martial arts film and some good ol’ horror to top it all off. Some films are for day time and others, for night. TGTDD could have easily been one of those night-time horror “tapes”. To me, Norvisgaard here sings praises to those old horror flicks, the good, the bad, the ugly and the oh, so bloody. The film is packed with references to 80s and 90s horror and does not try to hide the fact.

I think that when reviewing films, one of the important points to look for is intent. I think that almost everything we see in this film was intentional. Granted, there are some issues with the way the story pieces together which seem fragmented and illogical at times, but some of those were for comedic effect, some as homage, and some simply due to a degree inexperience and a very low budget that introduced all kinds of challenges and compromises.

As this is a no-spoiler review, I’ll try to avoid giving away much of the story and try to look at certain aspects of the film in more general terms. The cast in this film do a great job. Oberst Jr. carries most of the film with maximum commitment to the role and the quiet charisma he is so well known for. He plays Richard, both a criminal and a man who attempts to be a responsible father, as well as get himself and his daughter out of the criminal lifestyle they are currently trapped in. Hodder is entertaining as Hell as Percy, a total sadistic maniac who simply loves to hurt, and then kill, people. Linnea Quigley also does a great job here as Louisie, though in a slightly more comedic role. Personally, I would have loved to have seen her take on a more serious and somewhat larger role in this film, but she did well with what she was given. It is also worth mentioning that she looked freaking awesome under certain makeup which I can’t spoil (even though some promo stills from the film already did that), so you’ll have to watch the film to see.

Outside the three indie legends, the supporting cast also acquitted themselves well. First, David Rucker III as Melvin, was steady and committed to another comedic character, with certain shifts in tone that gave it more depth. I found him to be quite natural and entertaining. Kelley Wilson Robinson as Caroline, was delightfully amusing as Louisie’s daughter, Melvin’s stepdaughter, a 40-year-old woman who still lives at home and behaves like a spoiled, sexually charged teenager. Caroline was another character that was mainly for comedic effect and was a delight to watch, but it would have been interesting had we seen her show us other aspects of this character, yet she was not written that way. Robinson was also an associate producer here. Next is Mary Katherine O’Donnell as Mouse, Richard’s rebellious daughter. Mouse is a lock-pick specialist who does not share her father’s desire to get out of “the business”. She seems to love what she does, perhaps a little too much. This character was somewhat uneven, ranging between cool and interesting to lost and frightened, but O’Donnell did exceptionally well in some scenes and I was most impressed with her natural charisma and interesting look. I predict a bright future for this young actress. Rounding out our group of supporting actors is Veronika Stoykova, who plays Masquerade, the monster at the centre of this blood fest. Stoykova looked amazing as the Vampire Demon and our main villain, and seemed to embody the spirit and look of the character extremely well.

The technical departments were also well represented in this film. The cinematography by James Suttles (who also produced) was very well put together. Some scenes are exceptional and others well above average, giving the film a great look all the way through.

Neil Lee Griffin‘s music score definitely elevates the film as well. The 80s sounds and beats, especially in the more comedic or lighter scenes was absolutely awesome. It gave the film a certain vibe the worked really well with the subject matter. Of course, he did well bringing additional dread in the more intense moments as well, giving us a bipolar soundtrack filled with horror homage goodness.

The Special Effects and Makeup departments were dealt by John Lauterbach and Faith Tramp, who both did a great job with a modest budget that they stretched to its limit. The look of Masquerade was a definite highlight, though they did well on many fronts.

The film goes from zero to 100 very quickly. Kane Hodder’s introductory scene quickly puts us on notice, letting us know that in this film nothing is sacred. The film pushes on from there and does whatever it wishes, all the while giving us a wink and a smile, saying: “come along for the ride, you’ll enjoy it more that way.” If you are able to let go and enjoy the quirky and sometimes downright dark humor, as well as the bloody action of this film, you are in for a hell of a ride. If not, the experience might be somewhat jarring in spots. It’s all about intent as far as I’m concerned. This film was intended to be viewed as a fun ride into 80s horror homage deliciousness, and that’s exactly how it should be viewed for maximum enjoyment.

I have to say, though, that I am curious to see what Norvisgaard might do with even darker material. A script that is purely dark thriller/horror, without the cushion of comedy awaiting to pad any stumble or fall. Should he choose to go that way, I think his filmmaking prowess will shine even more. Norvisgaard is definitely a director to watch out for. I’ll make a prediction and say that The Good Things Devils Do is only the beginning for Norvisgaard on the way to a very interesting filmmaking career. Watch this space.

As repeatedly mentioned here, TGTDD is a serenade to 80s and 90s VHS horror, filled with bloody, gory fun. It is not without its faults, but what film is? Highly recommended for some Halloween Horror viewing fun. Recently there was some chatter going around that some kind of an additional cut of the film might be in the works. If that happens, I am definitely curious to see what the Jess has in store for us.

Enjoyable, gutsy and entertaining, definitely leaves you wanting more… 7.5/10.