The film was released in November 2019. It is suitable for “collectors” and fans of the horror genre.
Plot
A strange exhibit ends up in the museum of a small English town. The big box looks like a hurdy-gurdy with magic symbols on the walls.
The box with the clown came to the Island in the Victorian era as a trophy. England won victory after victory, and the city of Haultown received a box of evil.
With his appearance, a quiet life in the town of Haultown ended. Museum visitors and employees mysteriously disappear. The intern decides to reveal the terrible secret of the box. He came from America in search of new sensations. Will this investigation be successful?
Demonology lovers will find a lot of interesting things in this picture. The plot mentions France with its Inquisition. In the museum, the viewer will see the uniforms and artifacts of the First World War.
The meaning of the film
“Devil’s Box” is a story about a duel between a man and a demon. The historian decided to drive back the creature from Pandora’s box. The outcome of the duel the viewer will guess without difficulty. The hero is weak because day and night he suffers from remorse. The demon (Robert Strange) is strong because centuries have taught him cunning. Everything in Haultown revolves around a barrel organ with a clown inside. Residents of the city blame the unfortunate intern for the deaths. The law puts him in jail as a serial maniac.
Characteristics of heroes
Casey Reynolds (intern) focuses on the past. His fiancee died in America and he thinks to get rid of unpleasant memories with the help of tranquilizers. Escape across the ocean does not bring him relief.
The trainee’s assistant is played by Lucy-Jane Quinlan. This is an example of British thoroughness.
Museum director Rachel (Darry Gardner) is a real cracker. Distrust of the stories of subordinates costs her dearly.
The husband of a woman kidnapped by a demon suffers from a boycott of the villagers. He spent ten years in a mental hospital. Cleaver does not believe that the American will beat the clown. “Run!” is his advice to the intern.
An expert on supernatural phenomena lives in seclusion. He (Tom Carter) greets guests with caution, but the viewer will appreciate his competence. In addition to Morris, another antiques specialist, David Oniluga, is worth mentioning. He is the complete opposite of the previous character, although their professions are similar.
In a broader sense, there is another hero. His name is Frightened Distrustful Resident.
The hero stumbles upon a wall of outright boycott. Everyone does not believe him, from a girlfriend to a police detective.
reminiscences
- In Stephen King’s novel It and two of its adaptations, there is an image of an unclean clown spirit. He regularly, once every eighteen years, wakes up to eat several inhabitants of the nearest settlement.
- Filming took place in a house that belonged to the granddaughter of William Shakespeare. The plot contains echoes of Shakespeare’s motives of betrayal and remorse.
- In the Ghostbusters franchise, the writers often play with the theme of the escape of otherworldly creatures from an electronic prison.
- In King’s novel Doctor Sleep, the orderly hides his nightmares in a mental case.
Conclusion
The film was made on a small budget. The viewer will not see expensive special effects and elaborate angles. Director and screenwriter Lawrence Fowler showed the atmosphere of the horror-ridden city. The film earned praise as an atmospheric horror film.
The plot is well developed, with notes of morality. The main idea can be described as “You can’t run away from yourself”.
The film’s slogan, “Don’t open the box, you can stay in it,” can be twisted into “demons inside and demons outside.”
The theme of malicious boxes and dangerous clowns is widely found in Western cinema.
An hour and a half spent watching will enrich the knowledge of the viewer in many areas.
