Devils Stay review by Bobby Blakey
The Asian film market has had a long successful run in the horror genre with such iconic franchise as Ringu aka The Ring and Ju-On aka The Grudge. Well Go USA has cornered the market in Asian film distribution and continues to bring some of these horror films to the US with the latest being Devils Stay starring Park Shin-yang, Lee Min-ki and Lee Re from writer and director Hyun Moon-seop. Could this latest possession flick bring that something special to the masses or will it not be worth exorcising?
​
Devil’s Stay follows a renowned heart surgeon who refuses to face the reality that his child has died, despite declarations from medical examiners and even the priest who performed the expulsion after the sudden tragic loss of his daughter following an exorcism. But as the funeral rites begin, mourners start witnessing unnerving changes to the girl’s body, leaving the priest to wonder whether something much more sinister—an evil more ancient than Catholicism itself—may once again be looming over them all.
​
I am always hit and miss with possession genre. When they bring a good story and some creepy elements right, they can really be awesome, but there are also so many that just fail to really capture its essence. Heading into this one I found the story to be interesting in different directions and hoped that it would find its own path to creepy perfection. While there are still some issues for me the film does offer up a captivating tale that keeps you invested even when the pacing is off.
​
The film delivers everything you would want from this type of story. The film is
a slow burn by design that allows it to take time to unravel the mystery of what is truly going on. There are some pacing issues whereas it takes too long to get to certain points or repeats itself too often, but it is trying to build tension to the narrative and just misses the mark sometimes. There are some great visuals that help to make up for some of the story issues, but not even they are immune to issues at times.
​
The shots that work is beautiful and often horrific in the best way possible. Often, they work and make for a visual experience that is most impressive. There are a few moments that aren’t bad, but kind of cheesy. Had the whole film been in this tone then they would have worked fine, but since there are so many created and cool moments these stand out and not in a good way.
​
I wouldn’t say the film is scary and the ending is kind of anticlimactic, but the visual style and compelling story still makes it one worth checking out. Decide for yourself and check out Devils Stay available now on digital, Blu-ray and DVD from Well Go USA.