Demon Hunter (2016)

Simply A Masterpiece

Good concept, poorly executed.

It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

From Ireland comes this fast paced action, horror thriller! Demon Hunter is the story of young Taryn Barker (Niamh Hogan) as she journeys from guilt ridden teenager, to ass kicking heroine. Teenage angst and irresponsibility prompt Taryn to send her sister home alone after school. This selfish act inadvertently leads to Annabelle's violent death. Angry at herself for failing her sister, Taryn makes Detective Beckett (Alan Talbot) promise to find her sister's killer.A cryptic message from a stranger offers to introduce Taryn to Falstaff; an ancient being that promises to name her sister's killer. But all is not as it seems and her revenge will come at a heavy cost; her soul. Falstaff appears to have knowledge beyond this world and tells Taryn she can get her revenge if she becomes his pupil. Taryn has no idea of the dangers this presents, but readily accepts his offer. During a ritual, Taryn abruptly realizes Falstaff may not be what he appears.Told using flashbacks, the film chronicles the events from past to present and allow the viewer to enjoy the ride as timid Taryn turns into Taryn Barker: Demon Hunter.Demon Hunter has some genuinely good fight scenes, special effects and beautiful shots of the city. Shot entirely in Ireland, director Zoe Kavanagh really makes a bold statement with her first film. The cities stone work and tight cobbled streets enhance the night shots. And the film is also supported by a strong goth-metal and industrial soundtrack which is every bit as good as the film.

Demon Hunter is a breath of fresh air. Despite the clear lack of resources the strong story, gritty action sequences and fabulous practical effects more than make up for it. With witty one-liners abound and a sassy demon-butt kicking star this film is clearly just getting something started! Demon Hunter extremely fun and refreshing.

I'm not sure where the two previous bad reviews are coming from. This film has won 10 international awards and even Lloyd Kaufman himself loved it so it gets my vote anyway! In a nutshell, although not to demean from the main story itself this is basically "What is Buffy The Demon Slayer happened in Ireland?"Personally I think it's a fantastic take on everything. The acting (save from one of the primary cast members IMHO) is excellent, the story is nice and well rounded and I'm not sure why the other previous reviews are talking about the VFX because they look good to me. Are they 10 Million Dollar horror scifi budget level? Well of course not... this film is an indie flick so what more do you expect? I think for what it is, the market it's going for and the actual story itself the film achieves exactly what it set out to do! Personally I can't wait to see the sequel. :-) Ohh... and that's coming from someone who isn't usually a fan of horror movies either.

I see a lot of 0 star reviews which is kind of harsh, i mean its not citizen kane its an action movie about a sexy girl fighting demons and monsters. and on that front it delivers. overall its got a good atmosphere and the characters build pretty well. I personally found the fight scenes to be fun and the demon effects to be pretty good. overall I think its a worthwhile debut from a promising young director and worth giving a shot if you need that Buffy itch scratched.