Movie Review: "Realm of Shadows" (2024)
Realm of Shadows Movie Review
Written by Stuart D. Monroe
Released by ThunderKnight Entertainment
Directed by Jimmy Drain
Written by Robert Bieber, Jimmy Drain, and Lewis Leslie
2024, 85 minutes, Not Rated
Released in May 2024
Starring:
Tony Todd as Fr. Dudley
Vernon Wells as Cypress
Jimmy Drain as Robby
Richard Tyson as Hugo
Vida Ghaffari as Cassandra
Harley Wallen as Aspect
Lauren C. Mayhew as Ashley
Mel Novak as Bishop Lucian
Luba Bocian as Starr
Review:
Ah, the anthology. I can’t get enough of them. Though I must say, I’ve never seen one quite as scattershot (while also being hypnotically watchable) as Realm of Shadows. It’s a wild and experimental ride that toys with a slew of different filmmaking techniques and styles, from romance to possession horror to silent film aesthetics. Yeah, it’s like that.
The wraparound follows a coven of witches doing battle with a couple of priests for possession of the Dagger of Destiny, which happens to be the blade from the spear that pierced Christ’s side. Pretty heady stuff. The sexy, badass witches and the wizened priests trade spells and incantations that become stories that often center on relationships, which is an interesting direction to go in a horror anthology that features the likes of Tony Todd (Candyman, Final Destination) and Vernon Wells (Commando).
The segment breakdown is as follows:
“Mallick’s Dreamlady”: A not-too-smooth man named Mallick (director Jimmy Drain) snags the girl of his dreams with the help of a Faustian bartender who requires a lock of the young lady’s hair to make her fall madly in love.
“Hike”: The same character returns for the next segment, which sees his girlfriend leave him after he waits too long to pop the question. After losing the girl, he loses his mind.
“Abashed”: A couple suffers a nasty breakup.
“The Initiation of Professor Kimmer”: A college professor (again played by Drain) is blackmailed by an attractive and evil student into giving him not only an A in the class but also some sweet lovemaking. She may also want his blood and soul.
“Cadaver”: A young dancer desperately wants to be trained by a master dancer named Beedham, but everything comes with a price…and witchcraft may be the only way to pay.
“Meet Michael”: Little Gaylen is afraid of that old standby, the Boogeyman. So what do her parents do? Hire an exorcist, of course! What could possibly go wrong?
“Fate Upside Down”: It’s time for the priests and the witches to duke it out for the dagger, so naturally this is where Tony Todd makes his appearance (as do all the other notable names). It’s a fight to the finish, as they say.
The segments are fairly uneven in terms of comparative quality, with the wraparound (of course) and “The Initiation of Professor Kimmer” being the real standouts. But every segment brings something different to the table in a stew of styles and aesthetics. There’s a wildly mesmerizing dance number and the aforementioned silent film stylings. In short, there’s a little something for everyone!
Realm of Shadows is hard to follow coherently at some points, but you’ll never be bored or tuned out. There’s a ton of heart on display, and everyone chews up their parts with a voracious appetite and some real panache. Writer/director Jimmy Drain in particular gives it everything he has and then some, and I can’t wait to see what he could do with a bigger budget. It’s experimental and exploitative in equal measure, and as long as you’re swinging for those fences, you’ll have no trouble finding an audience to appreciate your efforts.
Grade:
3.0 out of 5.0 stars
