a deadly legend movie review

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A deadly legend, common sense media reviewers.

Nonsensical, low-budget, gory horror movie.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

No real messages here, except perhaps lesson about

Has several non-White characters, but unfortunatel

Character impaled with ax. Guns and shooting; char

Couple in bed together, presumably after sex ("tha

Sporadic uses of "s--t," "a--hole," "ass," "bitch,

Two characters drink a comically large amount of b

Parents need to know that A Deadly Legend is a horror movie about an ancient curse and the people who unleash it by trying to open a summer camp. Expect lots of blood and gore: People are impaled with axes, picks, and other objects; characters are shot; someone is dragged under the water in a lake; characters…

Positive Messages

No real messages here, except perhaps lesson about not building on cursed land. (The story might translate into a lesson about valuing money over human life.)

Positive Role Models

Has several non-White characters, but unfortunately when people start dying, they're among the first to go. Insensitive scene in which a police officer handcuffs an innocent Black man.

Violence & Scariness

Character impaled with ax. Guns and shooting; character shot through stomach. Nose bitten off. Scythe in character's neck, blood sprays on camera lens. Character killed with shovel, and then a pick. Character impaled. Character dragged under water, presumably drowned. Bleeding throat. Nail gun shoots nails into character's hand and foot. Cut hand, blood shown. Character hangs by chain. Ax thrown at character. Characters beaten, blood flying. Dead bodies. Character touches cursed candy; in pain, passing out. Character foams at mouth. Reference to a drunk, abusive man hitting a woman.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Couple in bed together, presumably after sex ("that was amazing!"). Man shirtless. Both opposite-sex and same-sex kissing.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sporadic uses of "s--t," "a--hole," "ass," "bitch," "damn," "crap," and "freakin'." Also "Jesus" and "Christ" used as exclamation. Middle-finger gesture.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Two characters drink a comically large amount of beer with no consequences. Social drinking. Cigarette smoking.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that A Deadly Legend is a horror movie about an ancient curse and the people who unleash it by trying to open a summer camp. Expect lots of blood and gore: People are impaled with axes, picks, and other objects; characters are shot; someone is dragged under the water in a lake; characters are beaten; there are dead bodies; and more. Both same- and opposite-sex couples kiss, and a scene shows two characters lying in bed, presumably after sex. The man is shirtless (no other nudity), and the woman says "that was amazing!" Language isn't frequent but includes uses of "s--t," "ass," and "bitch." Two characters drink a very large amount of beer with no real consequences, and there's social drinking and cigarette smoking. It's pretty bad, truthfully, but it might be a "so bad, it's good" movie for teens. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

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Community Reviews

• Parents say (1)

Based on 1 parent review

Intense but the best movie

What's the story.

In A DEADLY LEGEND, Joan (Kristen Anne Ferraro) buys some land and hopes to open a summer camp. Unfortunately, the land is said to be cursed, marked by an ancient stone seal under a mound. When Mike (Eric Wolf) bulldozes it and accidentally cuts his hand over the seal, a terrible evil is unleashed. A woman (Jean Tree) is pulled under the lake and disappears, only to come back as a warrior witch. And Mike becomes something like a vengeful zombie, randomly killing. Fortunately, two young women, Amy (Daniella DeCaro) and Krissy (Andee Buccheri), have a mysterious connection to the supernatural. Can they find out what happened centuries earlier and put a stop to the evil?

Is It Any Good?

Simply trying to synopsize this "everything but the kitchen sink" low-budget horror movie is enough to indicate just how nonsensical it really is. But it's also poorly written nonsense. A Deadly Legend constantly relies on bad expositional dialogue that no actual human would ever use. It's the kind of movie in which characters are constantly saying each other's names out loud (how often do people do that in real life?) and in which cellphones don't work. And while it does have a multicultural cast, it also falls back on the old cliché of killing the non-White characters first.

Three familiar faces appear in smaller roles (and, of course, are featured prominently in the advertising). Judd Hirsch plays old crank Carl, who runs an antique shop and warns against building on the cursed land. Corbin Bernsen is Matthias, who knows all about the old legend and provides more exposition. And Lori Petty is Wanda, who spends the entire movie either drinking beer or looking for more beer. Truthfully, some of this stuff is (perhaps unintentionally?) pretty funny, and with all of the gratuitous gore, there's a (small) chance that A Deadly Legend could someday qualify as a "so bad, it's good" classic.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about A Deadly Legend 's violence . How did it affect you? Is the extreme gore shocking? Does it make you laugh, or squirm? Why?

Is the movie scary? What's the appeal of scary movies ?

How does the movie portray drinking ? Is it glamorized? Are there consequences? Why does that matter?

How are the movie's non-White characters portrayed? Are there clichés? Are there stereotypes ?

Is there a lesson to be learned here about valuing money and business (i.e., building the summer camp) over human life (unleashing the curse)? How does this lesson apply in real life?

Movie Details

• On DVD or streaming : July 24, 2020
• Cast : Kristen Anne Ferraro , Lori Petty , Corbin Bernsen
• Director : Pamela Moriarty
• Inclusion Information : Female actors
• Studio : Gravitas Ventures
• Genre : Horror
• Run time : 97 minutes
• MPAA rating : NR
• Last updated : June 20, 2023

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Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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A Deadly Legend

Where to watch.

Watch A Deadly Legend with a subscription on Prime Video, rent on Fandango at Home, Apple TV, or buy on Fandango at Home, Apple TV.

Audience Reviews

Cast & crew.

Pamela Moriarty

Corbin Bernsen

Matthias Leary

Wanda Pearson

Judd Hirsch

Carl Turner

Kristen Anne Ferraro

Joan Huntar

Jeffrey Doornbos

Robert Huntar

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Critics reviews.

A Deadly Legend

By Rob Rector | July 12, 2020

A real estate developer buys an old summer camp to build new homes. However, the property has a dark history that ties to a legend of supernatural worship and human sacrifice. A celebration weekend turns deadly when construction disturbs forbidden ground. Unable to escape, they must fight for survival and destroy the ancient megalith, forever closing the gateway to the Dark Dimension and the spirits from beyond.

A Deadly Legend  puts the “ghoul” in goulash. For those unfamiliar with the term, goulash is a nickname for the stew one would make with all the leftover ingredients from prior meals, and you can easily identify every narrative herb added to the mix here: ancient burial grounds, possessions, creepy ghost girls, tragedy-laced summer camps, deals with the devil. It’s almost as if Eric Wolf’s script had been spat out of an artificial intelligence horror film generator.

Kristen Anne Ferraro stars as Joan Huntar, a developer who thinks it’s a swell idea to erect a housing development on a former summer camp with a storied past. During the hearing for the proposal, a local antique store owner (Judd Hirsch, in a brief cameo) warns of the cursed Earth on which they plan to build. After the project’s approval, Joan decides to celebrate with her friends at a nearby lakeside home. At the same time, construction of the ground begins and uncovers an ancient sacrificial site and unleashing a host of supernatural happenings.

“…they must fight for survival and destroy the ancient megalith …”

Under Pamela Moriarty’s direction, none of what happens is made clear. Worse, is that who is being haunted and why is boring and engaging. The f irst-time director shows she knows a thing or two behind the lens, but it’s tough to determine with such a chaotic script that doesn’t know if it wants to play Chutes & Ladders or with an Ouija board.

 Even more baffling is how this mess landed a few established names, including Lori Petty and Corbin Bernsen . Their roles are brief, but all seem to have higher standards.

It’s not just that  A Deadly Legend  suffers from its budgetary limitations, but rather its punch-drunk narrative swerves all over the road. Characters appear and vanish without consequence or rationale, its goofy interdimensional rules are never clear, and its cop-out conclusion is both cheap and confusing.

A Deadly Legend  is a hodge-podge of horror elements that never add up to anything of substance and undercut by a budget that is well under its aspirations.

A Deadly Legend (2020)

Directed: Pamela Moriarty

Written: Eric Wolfe

Starring: Kristen Anne Ferraro, Corbin Bernsen, Lori Petty, Judd Hirsch, etc.

Movie score: 3/10

"…its punch-drunk narrative swerves all over the road."

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Movie Review: A Deadly Legend (2020)

The initial premise of the film is so familiar it risks being cliche’. Real estate developer Joan Huntar, played by Kristen Anne Ferraro (She Came From The Woods, A Couple Pros) wishes to develop the land currently occupied by a summer camp that might as well be called Camp Crystal Lake. Presenting her proposal to the town council, Huntar meets with vehement opposition in the form of Carl Turner, played by Judd Hirsch (Taxi, A Beautiful Mind).

Hirsch’s entry into the council meeting is reminiscent of Quindt’s introduction in Steven Spielberg’s “Jaws”. That similarity and the tie-in to the horror classic “Friday The 13th” prompted me to ask writer Wolf about the homage paid to classic horror IP’s in the film. Wolf replied, “I wanted to make a film that, while set in the modern day, pays tribute to all these great films. You’ll see references to films like Friday the 13th and others.”

Sam Jones eventually contacts Mike Renfield, played by writer Eric Wolf, who is one of his foremen and will lead the excavation team clearing the site so that building can commence. Renfield, whose name and character are an homage to the classic Bram Stroker character, is an “off his rocker” blue collar character whose main interests are drinking beer and working his back loader. His impatient and nagging wife, Wanda, is played by Lori Petty (A League of Their Own, Tank Girl). Wolf and Petty have terrific chemistry together and watching them onscreen was reminiscent of watching Al and Peg Bundy; if Al and Peg had gone completely off their gourd.

All in all, this movie is both entertaining and well done. While not as polished as what you might expect from a large studio; it is incredibly well acted, produced and directed for an independent film. This is a film that I would purchase to watch again and again. There are rough edges, most notably the soundtrack and some of the digital work, but nothing so rough that it takes away from your enjoyment of the film. I highly recommend this movie to anyone who is a fan of the genre.

A Deadly Legend is available to stream or download in general release staring July 24, 2020 and you can find information about the film and where it is being released on ADeadlyLegend.com .

Writing – 4.3 of 5 Stars Acting – 4 of 5 Stars Directing – 4.5 of 5 Stars Music – 3.2 of 5 Stars Sound – 3.5 of 5 Stars Cinematography – 4.5 of 5 Stars

Overall – 4 of 5 Stars

Cast and Crew

Director – Pamela Moriarty Writer – Eric Wolf Wanda Pearson – Lori Petty Matthias Leary – Corbin Bernsen Carl Turner – Judd Hirsch Joan Huntar – Kristen Anne Ferraro Tina Jones – Summer Moore Mike Renfield – Eric Wolf Sam Jones – Dwayne Thomas Connor Huntar – John Pope Krissy Huntar – Andy Buccheri Eva Chan/Chain Witch – Jean Tree Amy Jones – Daniella DeCaro

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A deadly legend.

2020 Directed by Pamela Moriarty

No life will be spared.

Joan Huntar, a real estate developer, buys an old summer camp. However, the property has a dark history of supernatural worship and human sacrifice. A celebration weekend turns deadly when construction uncovers the mythical Stonehenge of America. Deadly spirits are awakened and kill to gain control of this supernatural gateway. Unable to escape, Joan and her family must fight for survival and defeat the spirits from beyond.

Lori Petty Corbin Bernsen Judd Hirsch Summer Crockett Moore Kristen Anne Ferraro Steven Hauck Jeffrey Doornbos Wayne Pyle John Pope Eric Wolf Dwayne Alistair Thomas Shravan Amin Andee Buccheri

Director Director

Pamela Moriarty

Writer Writer

Cinematography cinematography.

Lars Elling Lunde

Stunts Stunts

Victoria Lee Parella

Composer Composer

Steven Reilly

Alternative Titles

A Deadly Legend - Das Tor zur Hölle ist geöffnet, 致命的传说

Releases by Date

24 jul 2020, 14 may 2021, 09 aug 2021, 09 jul 2021, releases by country.

• Physical 18 Blu-ray & DVD
• Physical 15

80 mins   More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Review by Nightfalll ★½

Lori Petty (Point Break) y Judd Hiesch (Día de la Independencia), no se cómo terminaron en esta película de bajísimo presupuesto con un guión que parece improvisado sobre la marcha. Es una especie de terror con tintes gore sobre una antigua maldición que por momentos parece mas una producción de las que SyFy Channel hace para televisión.

Review by Travis Lytle ★½

Paper thin in every aspect of its story and storytelling, "A Deadly Legend" may be best described as an unwise use of 80 minutes. It almost is not all bad. The horror film about a more-or-less haunted piece of land about to be developed into usable real estate sports a steady genre premise and couple of reputable supporting actors. Aside from those minor strengths, all of the rest smacks of flimsy filmmaking, novice acting, and a general inability to turn the set up into anything compelling. There are worse low-budget horror flicks to be found, but this has very little holding it up.

Review by Kyóraku ★

Least the poster is pretty

Review by Alex Madden ½

So bad it's amazing. For all those beer lovers out there this movie is PERFECT for you

Full Review: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nppQ6Esx9Y

Review by gavcrimson ★★★

The bland, Lifetime like, afternoon TV exterior (complete with saccharine dialogue and fade out/fade in scene transitions) belies one of the most incomprehensible, barking mad horror films to come along in a while. The plot? ermm...something to do with the excavation of 'the Stonehenge of America' resulting in pick axe murders, feuding spirits vying for control of a supernatural gateway and ghost pagans possessing the living. I guarantee that a) you'll laugh your ass off throughout b) have barely any idea of what is going on, and c) wonder how they managed to get actors -who you'd think would be above this kind of thing- to ham it up onscreen. Judd Hirsch is the crazy old man warning of death and destruction, Corbin Bernsen wields a magical staff and Lori Petty is the permanently drunk lesbian aunt you wish you had in your life. As the film's Jack Torrance wannabe says "NO BRAKES!!!

Review by Nick ½

What an absolute mess. I can't imagine what money they offered or what money the actors needed to get Bernsen, Hirsch, and Petty in this.

There's a lady in a chain mail bikini and a score that makes early '90s Full Moon features seem like they were soundtracked by John Williams.

This is 100% Rifftrax fodder. I can only assume it was funded purely to be mocked at a future date.

Review by LigeiaCorpse ★★

Both stars are going to Lori Petty's beer lady. That was hilarious. Other then that this was horrible. It was all over the place and hard to follow. I dont mind low budget but that isnt the problem here. The person that edited this needs to find a new career. It literally goes scene to scene with no transition it just goes black like a comercial is about to come on. Just jumping back and forth and you cant figure out what is happening. I cant believe I stuck it our but I wanted to at least make sense of this. Saddly the end didnt prove to make any more sense then the rest of it,There are some actual decent stars in this too, like why did they agree to be in this?

Review by Moria ½

A Deadly Legend was a directorial debut for Thai-born Pamela Moriarty who resides in New York State and has a number of credits as an assistant director before this.

The film’s setting is a summer camp. This leads to the initial expectation that what you are going to be watching is a Slasher Films – Friday the 13th made the summer camp into one of the archetypal settings for the genre and numerous other works followed suit. This turns out not to be the case and in fact A Deadly Legend jumps aboard the fad for Folk Horror films that has emerged in the last few years. There are witches and suggestions of puritan rites occurring in the background, while…

Review by spacegod ★★½

It's a lot like every séance/Ouija board movie out there --- a game becomes serious, one reluctant person hesitates, someone breaks the circle, etc. As usual, the first question, "Is someone here with us?" is answered immediately by an entity just standing by, waiting for their call. And it has the infuriating trope of not listening to the guy who can save them all.

Not listening is the problem in alien invasion movies, killer movies, demon movies, etc. We as a society should probably work on that, too.

Although, I WAS glad when the drunk punk who never shut up was killed.

One delicious thing was watching the "corporate" bosses try to manage their way out of the supernatural hell…

Review by Scurveyx ★★½

A lifetime movie about evil things going on with a small town and a construction site. It's ok and by ok I mean it gets by the horror aspect and the fact that Lori petty is in this doing all her crazy shit but she does get annoying at one point. The fact that the black dude and young teen lives make me have to be a little nice. It's still borning and hard to sit through but it's passable.

Nah this aint the one.

Review by susyq918 ★★★

Hmm. How do I feel about the last 80 minutes or so of my life? I don't know. I'm sort of numb but for once it has nothing to do with it being 3:42am. This movie...had a few all right spots. I'm convinced that the actors weren't bad, they just had shit to work with. I'm still deciding whether this was lazy script writing or bad directing. I'll let you know if I decide by the end of this review.

The story centers around a piece of cursed land that is purchased for renovation but that is quickly forgotten because there seems to be only one construction guy who is a friend of the family. His girlfriend is randomly the…

Review by EarlU ★

Despite some high ratings on IMDb, this movie is just not good.

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ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

Female Film Critics 24/375

A DEADLY LEGEND – Review by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas

Can a cameo convert a relatively pedestrian film into something truly special? In the case of Pamela Moriarty’s A Deadly Legend , the answer is a resounding yes, with a simple, two-word explanation: Lori Petty. While everything around her plays out in a thoroughly serviceable way about this real estate dream gone bad thanks to the “deadly legend” of the title, that all fades far, far into the background when Petty – albeit briefly – is on camera. I have, quite simply, never seen anything like it.

Shot in the Hudson Valley, the film follows the recently widowed Joan Huntar (Kristen Anne Ferraro) who intuitively purchases an abandoned summer camp to develop into a more real estate, boosting her own career and, she believes, the fortunes of the local community. But as she, her family and friends soon discover, the area has a dark secret, built as it is on a mystical site with a history of gruesome pagan rites and rituals. When the spirits of yore are unleashed by the overzealous earth moving equipment of Joan’s crew, all hell, as they say, breaks loose.

Although A Deadly Legend is technically Moriarty’s feature debut, she has an impressive background as an assistant director on documentaries, features and shorts. Undeniably she knows her way around a set; what is relatively standard genre fare is directed with a firm hand by a filmmaker who clearly is confident in the role. There’s a curious tension between content and tone that isn’t perhaps as successful as it could be. While there’s a lot of adult material, certainly (incest, police brutality, racism), the film – especially with its action sequences – feels closer to kid’s television in its spirit rather than a horror movie per se. It’s corny, absolutely, but there is a kind of pleasure to that which perhaps sits beyond how successful the film is as a genre film as such.

But then, of course, is Lori Petty. Her screen time is brief, but it is a gift. She’s not the only familiar face to make a cameo in A Deadly Legend – Corbin Bernsen and Judd Hirsch also appear – but it is Petty who simply steals the show. While best known for her roles in Orange is the New Black and A League of their Own , Petty is 100% channeling the spirit of her greatest (and most underrated) performance here as Tank Girl in Rachel Talalay’s 1995 comic book adaptation of the same name. While Petty is a superb director in her own right (her autobiographical feature The Poker House from 2008 with Jennifer Lawrence has to be seen to be believed), her character Wanda in A Deadly Legend brings forth the punkier, wilder spirit of Petty’s on screen persona, not just from Tank Girl but also from her standout performance in the short lived television series Booker.

As Wanda, Petty brings A Deadly Legend to life; the wacky fifty-something drunk punk feels like she was beamed down from a spaceship into this film, and while everything happening around her is fairly standard low-budget genre territory, she is extraordinary. Some films are great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them; A Deadly Legend is definitely the latter, and that greatness explicitly comes in the shape of Lori Petty’s brief but divine cameo.

• ← FRANCES FERGUSON – Review by Sarah Ward
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Alexandra Heller-Nicholas

Alexandra Heller-Nicholas is a multi-award-winning film critic and author who has published nine books on cult, horror and exploitation cinema with an emphasis on gender politics, including the 2020 book ‘1000 Women in Horror, 1898-2018’ which was included on Esquire Magazine’s list of the best 125 books written about Hollywood. Alexandra is a contributing editor at Film International, a columnist at Fangoria, an Adjunct Professor at Deakin University, and a member of the advisory board of the Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies (LA, NYC, London).

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Movie Review: A DEADLY LEGEND

Mythology more ambitious than the film can handle.

A DEADLY LEGEND | ©2020 Gravitas Ventures

Rating: Not Rated Stars: Kristen Anne Ferraro, Andee Buccheri, John Pope, Judd Hirsch, Corbin Bernsen, Daniella DeCaro, Eric Wolf, Jean Tree, Lori Petty Writer: Eric Wolf Director: Pamela Moriarty Distributor: Gravitas Ventures Release Date: July 24, 2020

A DEADLY LEGEND is a deceptively generic title for a horror movie that has impressively complex mythology. Unfortunately, the narrative ambitions exceed the grasp of director Pamela Moriarty and writer Eric Wolf, but their efforts to do something new are admirable.

In fact, the storytelling is so dense that it’s a bit surprising to find that A DEADLY LEGEND is not based on a novel. The movie starts with one of those ghost on the road incidents. A year later, accident survivor Joan Huntar (Kristen Anne Ferraro) is a widow and her two teens, Krissy (Andee Buccheri) and Connor (John Pope), have lost their father. Joan is intent on building a resort in a small mountain town. There was a massacre fifty years ago on the planned building site, and that turns out to be the least of it.

Antiques store owner Carl (Judd Hirsch) tries to talk the town out of letting Joan break ground on the construction site, while New Age shop proprietor Matthias Leary (Corbin Bernsen) encourages Krissy and her friend Amy (Daniella DeCaro) to purchase some crystals in case they want to communicate with the spirits.

Soon, all of the characters find themselves enmeshed in a tug of war between two opposing supernatural powers. One wants to open a demonic gate; the other wants to keep the gate closed, but doesn’t care who it kills in the process.

Director Moriarty makes the most of some handsome environments ( A DEADLY LEGEND was shot in Hudson Valley, NY), with good cinematography from d.p. Lars Elling Lunde. There are some nifty interior locations (the real establishments are thanked in the end credits) that we wish we could spend more time exploring.

Moriarty also gets fine performances from some of the cast, though others either overdo it or are unduly stoic. It’s a commendably diverse group, unlike the all- or mostly-white lineups in many low-budget horror films.

Moriarty makes made the odd editorial choice of concluding many scenes with a rapid fade to black, as though expecting a commercial interruption. It definitely lets us know that the action is moving somewhere else, but it’s distracting. Likewise, partway through, we feel like we need a scorecard to keep track of who is being approached, cajoled, and/or attacked by which side. Ambiguity can be intriguing, but this is outright confusion. A perplexing tag scene doesn’t help. Gore is plentiful, but there are no effective jump scares.

Ultimately, A DEADLY LEGEND feels like it’s bitten off more than it can chew. However, when too many horror movies seem like they’ve got no original notions at all, it’s good to see one that makes an effort on that score.

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Movie Review: Older actors hunt for frights from “A Deadly Legend”

You could do a LOT worse when casting your horror movie than parking Corbin Bernsen and Judd Hirsch as village elders caught up in battle between good and “the spiral stone” evil.

And let’s not forget the Once and Future “Tank Girl,” Lori Petty.

“She’s looked better .”

“That’s not all on me,” screenwriter Eric Wolf says, in a line he gave Eric Wolf/ actor. “She let herself go. ”

“A Deadly Legend” is a laugh-out-loud Z-movie about haunted land being profaned by developers somewhere in the Northeast, and not in Florida, where such cursed happenings are common.

And Wolf, a bit-player (“Shopper #2 in “Daddy’s Home 2”) turned producer and screenwriter, is a big reason why. As madman Mike, the backhoe/bulldozer operator hired to clear a “mound” in a controversial redevelopment on the outskirts of Small Town, Adirondacks, he’s got the eye-bugging drollery thing down pat.

I mean, I laugh when Judd Hirsch , as the town character, an antiques dealer who interrupts a planning board meeting with “You will unearth what had been dead for CENTURIES,” goes all Old Testament.

Corbin Bernsen, playing a local seller of crystals and knockoffs of Gandalf’s wizard’s staff, goes off on “HALF off” sales to anybody gullible enough to drop by.

And Petty? She’s doing the same antic “Tank Girl” shtick she did back in the last millennium, flailing her arms around, improvising nonsense, looking 25 years older.

“All it takes to make me HAPPY” she bellows at beau Mike (Wolf) on the backhoe, “is beer. ” And no, she’s not find of the low-cal kind.

But Wolf goes OFF, and is a hoot to watch as a guy who turns possessed, digging up and bleeding on “the stones,” which open “the gate,” and for which he should feel honored and thus work off-the-clock.

“NO BREAKS!”

The film’s a daffy, no-budget riff on the “ancient spirits disturbed” and “every fifty year curse” thing. Digging up an Indian mound awakens Luci, the ghoul ( Tatiana Szpur ), who caused a wreck that killed the developer’s (Kristen Anne Ferraro) husband, years before.

Now, Developer Joan is making a mess out of the place where “the stones” preside, a “gate” where “the chain witch” rules — once the chain has chosen Eva (J ean Tree ) for her bitchin’ bikini bod out on Lake Ancient Curse.

This is the sort of bad horror that is best experienced with a crowd of fellow aficionados, maybe over the favorite beverage of Wicked Wanda (Petty). Maybe social distance with a few friends?

There’s  a single effect, a pale blue light taking over the eyes.

The scenario is filled with laughs intentional and unintentional laughs. Joan and her daughter — Andee Buchari — need to have the “it gets better” talk with her fey son ( John Pope ). I mean, he’s willing to take on “the chain witch,” even if he’s about as butch as Billy Eichner.

The director has given herself the moniker “Pamela Moriarty.” But as my mother noted as the credits rolled, maybe the nom de réalisatrice (director) suggests sinister skills not yet acquired.

“This must have been her first go at it.”

MPAA Rating: unrated, bloody violence

Cast: Kristen Anne Ferraro, Eric Wolf, Dwayne A. Thomas, Jean Tree, Corbin Bernson, Judd Hirsch and Lori Petty.

Credits: Directed by Pamela Moriarty, script by Eric Wolf, and no, I don’t believe those are their real names either.   A Gravitas Ventures release.

Running time: 1:36

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Review: ‘A Deadly Legend,’ starring Corbin Bernsen, Judd Hirsch, Lori Petty, Kristen Anne Ferraro, Dwayne Thomas, Summer Crockett Moore and Tatiana Szpur

Arts and Entertainment

A Deadly Legend , Alan Pontes , Andee Buccheri , Corbin Bernsen , Daniella DeCaro , Dwayne A. Thomas , Dwayne Thomas , Eric Wolf , horror , Jean Tree , Jeffrey Doornbos , Judd Hirsch , Kristen Anne Ferraro , Lori Petty , movies , reviews , Samuel Blustein , Shravan Amin , Summer Crockett Moore , Tatiana Szpur

August 3, 2020

by Carla Hay

“A Deadly Legend” 

Directed by Pamela Moriarty

Culture Representation:  Taking place in the fictional Pilgrim County somewhere in the United States, the horror flick “A Deadly Legend” has a predominantly white cast (with a few African Americans and Asians and one Latino) representing the middle-class.

Culture Clash:  A group of people encounter a curse that’s lasted for centuries and involves a vengeful witch.

Culture Audience:  “A Deadly Legend” will appeal primarily to people who like low-budget horror films that are so bad that they’re almost hilarious.

The horror film “A Deadly Legend” is so amateurly made that it looks like something that people from a community theater decided to do in order to get a feature film credit on their résumés. “A Deadly Legend” is the first feature film directed by Pamela Moriarty and written by Eric Wolf—and that lack of experience shows in every single minute of this sloppily made film. Kristen Anne Ferraro, who produced “A Deadly Legend,” also stars as the movie’s main protagonist, which explains why she has the lead role. It’s a lot easier to cast yourself as the star of a movie when you’re paying for the film.

And it seems like much of the budget was spent in hiring the cast’s veteran actors who have name recognition: Corbin Bernsen (of “L.A. Law” fame), Judd Hirsch (of “Taxi” fame) and Lori Petty (of “Tank Girl” and “A League of Their Own” fame), whose best career days are behind them if they’re now taking supporting roles in this type of bottom-of-the-barrel movie. Their level of experience is even more noticeable in “A Deadly Legend,” where they’re surrounded by people whose acting is so horrible, it makes Kim Kardashian in a movie look like the next Meryl Streep.

“A Deadly Legend” is a little overstuffed with characters, but the plot is fairly simple because it’s so derivative of dozens of other horror movies that have come before it: Some people uncover a longtime curse that involves a witch who’s out for revenge. And, of course, most of the horror happens when people are gathered in an isolated house. (The movie, which takes place in an unnamed state in the U.S., was actually filmed in New York state.)

The story takes place in the fictional Pilgrim County, where construction company owner Joan Huntar (played by Ferraro) and her lawyer Raj (played by Shravan Amin) are about to head into an important town council meeting. Joan and Raj want the town council to approve a major project for Huntar Construction: It’s the Pilgrim Lake Luxury Homes Project, where they plan to build homes in an undeveloped rural area. Joan and Raj are desperate for the town council’s approval for this project, since Huntar Construction is in dire financial straits and needs this project to stay in business.

At the town council meeting, one citizen is extremely vocal in expressing his disapproval of the project: Carl Turner (played by Hirsch), who owns an antiques store in town. Carl warns everyone at the meeting what will happen if construction breaks ground in the planned project area: “You’ll unleash what’s been buried for centuries!” Also at the meeting is longtime Pilgrim Lake resident Matthias Leary (played by Bernsen), who owns a crystal mineral shop in town. Despite Carl’s protest, the town council approves the project.

Joan is a widow with two teenage children: Krissy (played by Andee Buccheri) and her older brother Connor (played by John Pope). They are still grieving over the loss of Joan’s husband Bob (played by Jeffrey Doornbus), who died in a car accident. The car crash, which happened one night on a deserted road, is shown in the beginning of the movie to establish that something evil is lurking is Pilgrim County.

Bob was driving the car, and the passengers were Joan, Krissy and Krissy’s teenage cousin Amy Jones (played by Daniella DeCaro), when a young red-haired woman dressed in a white flowing dress suddenly appeared in the road. The car crashed when Bob tried to avoid hitting this mystery woman. It should come as no surprise to the audience that this woman is the ghost of a witch. The witch calls herself Luci (played by Tatiana Szpur), and she shows up again many times for the rest of the movie. (The movie reveals Luci’s backstory in a flashback scene that takes place in 1720.)

Ultimately, most of the movie’s characters end up in a remote lodge near the construction site, as construction begins for the Pilgrim Lake Luxury Homes Project. Because this is a low-budget film, the “construction” consists of one man operating a bulldozer. The lone construction worker on the site is a beer-guzzling roughneck named Mike Renfield (played by Eric Wolf), who is kept company by his kooky platonic female friend Wanda (played by Petty). Wanda brings some comic relief to the story, because it’s a running joke in the movie that Wanda keeps asking people if they have any beer.

Of course, the body count starts to pile up in this group of people who are at the lodge. In addition to Joan, Krissy, Connor and Amy, the other family members at the lodge are Bob’s sister/Joan’s sister-in-law Tina Jones (played by Summer Crockett Moore) and her husband Sam Jones (played by Dwayne A. Thomas), who are Amy’s parents. Sam works for Huntar Construction and is Mike’s no-nonsense immediate supervisor. Tina fancies herself to be a psychic—she holds a candlelit séance with the teenagers while wearing a T-shirt that says “I’m Not Weird. I’m Paranormal.”

Two other teenagers are also on the premises: quiet and mysterious Eli Leary (who is described as Matthias Leary’s grandson) and the outgoing and athletic Derek Rodriguez (played by Alan Pontes), who is Krissy’s love interest. Also at the lodge are attorney Raj and his divorced girlfriend Eva Chan (played by Jean Tree), who confides in Joan during a “girls talk” that Raj “saved” her from an abusive husband.

The pacing of “A Deadly Legend” sometimes drags, the dialogue is mostly forgettable, and the acting by most of this movie’s cast is so “train wreck” bad that it really is comical at times. Luci the witch is supposed to be terrifying, but Szpur’s sluggish portrayal makes Luci look like a Victorian Goth girl who’s taken too many opioid pills.

At least Petty brings some laughs as the somewhat unnecessary character of Wanda, because Wanda is so goofy that her personality is a welcome distraction from this often-boring film. But most of the other intentional humor in the movie falls very flat.

At one point in the story, Mike the construction worker is suspected of being up to no good, so his supervisor Sam goes to confront him. When some of the other people warn Sam that Mike could be dangerous, Sam replies, “I’m his boss. If he hasn’t killed me by now, he never will.” That’s what supposed to pass for humor in this awful movie.

And the visual effects are so messy and cheap-looking that they make the intended horror look very unconvincing. “A Deadly Legend” also makes a bizarre attempt to look “edgy” in a scene where someone has a nightmarish vision that shows an incestuous kiss between Joan and her son Connor, who exchange a large squid-like creature in their mouths during the kiss. It looks like a dumb stunt placed in the movie for “shock” effect. Ultimately, “A Deadly Legend” commits the worst sin of all for a horror movie: There is absolutely nothing scary about this terrible film.

Gravitas Ventures released “A Deadly Legend” on digital and VOD on July 24, 2020.

     Translate this site

A fun supernatural horror film, watch on-demand.

Joan Huntar, a real estate developer, buys an old summer camp. It turns out that the property was once inhabited by a rogue sect of pagans with a dark history of sacrificial worship. A celebration weekend with friends (and way too much beer) turns deadly when construction uncovers a mythical Stonehenge of America. Deadly spirits are awakened and kill to gain control of the supernatural gateway. Joan and her family must fight for survival and defeat the spirits from beyond.

This campy tribute to classic horror thrillers will take you for an entertaining ride filled with suspense, scares, chaos, and laughs.

Pamela Moriarty

Director of Photography

Lars Elling Lunde

Heidi Eklund

• Action/Adventure
• Children's/Family
• Documentary/Reality
• Amazon Prime Video

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Stream It or Skip It: ‘Legend of the Lost Locket’ on Hallmark, a Low-Key ‘When Calls the Heart’ Side Project 

Where to stream:.

• The Legend of the Lost Locket
• movie reviews

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Hallmark’s flagship channel takes a cue from Hallmark Mystery with Legend of the Lost Locket . This romance is equal parts history and mystery, with a teensy bit of small town intrigue. Natasha Burnett and Viv Leacock star as an unlikely duo on the hunt for, well, a legendary lost locket. But is this a mystery you’ll want to see solved? Or should this whole caper have stayed lost?

LEGEND OF THE LOST LOCKET : STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: Natasha Burnett ( When Calls the Heart ) plays Amelia, a British antiques dealer with one specific historical trinket on her to-find list: the lost locket of Queen Elizabeth I, which was gifted to her by her one true love, Sir Robert Dudley. This is a hunt that Amelia has inherited from her mom — who has “dead parent” on their Hallmark romance movie bingo card? — and she’s just uncovered a lead that could change everything. It turns out that one half of the locket’s last keepers, a British couple in the 19th century, may have traveled to an area outside Boston and helped found a town called Wilmaton. There’s only one way for Amelia to find out if this lead leads anywhere: grab your passport, because you’re going to Boston…ish!

Amelia’s arrival in Wilmaton is less than welcoming, what with her car breaking down and all (another square on the bingo card). She’s offered a ride from Marcus ( When Calls the Heart — hey, these two play the Canfields on Hallmark’s long-running historical drama!) and quickly settles into a bed and breakfast of historical significance. Also Marcus’s sister owns the B&B. And also Marcus is the town sheriff. Really, Marcus just keeps popping up everywhere — but it’s hard to avoid anyone in a town as small as Wilmaton.

One thing that is hard to find, though, are the town’s archives. And the mayor (Hrothgar Mathews of When Calls the Heart — what is going on here?!) is acting super, super shady about Amelia’s search. Of course Amelia isn’t telling the whole truth either because she knows the town would be overrun with antiques hunters should word get out that the missing half of the lost locket could be in Wilmaton. There are a lot of mysteries to uncover here — including one involving Amelia’s growing attachment to a certain sheriff.

What Programs Will It Remind You Of?: The cozy village vibes are pure Murder, She Wrote (the sweaters!), with a dash of Antiques Roadshow (the way Amelia can recount the provenance of anything she touches is basically a superpower) and even a little bit of Sleepy Hollow’s spookiness (who is stalking Amelia?!).

Performance Worth Watching: I gotta give it up to Beverley Elliot ( A World Record Christmas ) as Aunt Enid, a woman looking for any excuse to ditch meditation class.

Memorable Dialogue: This exchange highlighting how small Wilmaton really is: “Maybe I’ll see you around.” “It would be impossible not to.”

Our Take: The When Calls the Heart connection between three of the movie’s actors (four if you count Kevin O’Grady, who guest-starred on WCTH ) answers the one burning question I had while watching Legend of the Lost Locket : why isn’t this on Hallmark Mystery? It all makes sense when you consider that When Calls the Heart Season 11 just premiered last week . This is what we call network synergy, baby! It’s not synergy for synergy’s sake, though, because Legend of the Lost Locket is a fun little mystery even if you’re unaware of the Canfield connection.

No, Legend of the Lost Locket isn’t breaking any new ground in the Hallmark mystery genre. The script is packed with all the tropes you know as well as a few that are becoming more and more commonplace (you better believe they find a way to get the leads into 19th century formalwear!). All that’s fine, though, because the chemistry between Burnett and Leacock is hard to resist. They’re a dynamic duo, with Burnett playing the proper Brit who seeks antiques with unrivaled passion, and Leacock playing a small town sheriff who is also a cinnamon roll .

I will give Legend of the Lost Locket credit where credit is definitely due: for all the cozy mystery tropes, this movie actually does keep you guessing. Amelia and Marcus keep unraveling mysteries within mysteries — which I guess is also kinda like a cinnamon roll. And I have to commend Lost Locket on skillfully making Wilmaton feel like a real place, with a variety of townspeople who you could all see playing central roles in future antiques-related mysteries. What I’m saying is, between When Calls the Heart and the Amelia Scott History Mysteries series I just dreamed up, Burnett and Leacock could (and maybe should) spend the entire year working together.

Our Call: STREAM IT. Legend of the Lost Locket isn’t making history, but it’s a quaint little caper that will have added appeal to Hearties .

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‘Damaged’ Review: Samuel L. Jackson and Vincent Cassel Headline a Slick but Tepid Serial Killer Thriller

Wobbly material lets down TV veteran Terry McDonough’s first theatrical feature, an Edinburgh-set mystery that delights in its gruesome crime scenes.

By Dennis Harvey

Dennis Harvey

Film Critic

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At their least, the myriad serial-killer movies that followed in the imitative wake of “Se7en” three decades ago have gotten the grisly part down, but find compelling suspense, atmospherics and original narrative ideas harder to come by. Such is certainly the case with “ Damaged ,” which serves up a considerable number of victims’ severed limbs, yet is likely to leave scant impression — scarring or otherwise — on the viewer. 

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Koji Steven Sakai, Capaldi and Paul Aniello’s script feels like an awkward compromise between competing visions, as well as somewhat inorganic multinational casting. While his performance is okay, frequently surrendering focus to better-known actors doesn’t lend Capaldi’s character enough heft or personality to center the film, as it seems meant to. Jackson is in enjoyably playful form at first, though later he’s saddled with more credulity-straining narrative baggage than he bothers to treat seriously. Cassel and particularly Dickie are underutilized, while the preliminary villains make a menacing impression the screenplay fails to flesh out much. (Even the story’s religious angles turn out to be a red herring.) Suspense is minimal in part because the murder victims are mostly only introduced to be offed — the film is less interested in their peril than lingering on the gory aftermaths. 

McDonough has directed a lot of quality series installments on both sides of the Atlantic over the last quarter-century, including “Better Call Saul,” “Breaking Bad” and “The Street.” This belated first theatrical feature gets the benefit of his slick professionalism, as well as that of his overqualified actors. But they can only do so much with material that feels cursorily sewn together from elements of prior, better genre exercises, and which finally collapses into explication-heavy twistiness that leaves any remaining believability behind. 

Nicely enough turned in all tech and design departments, “Damaged” is too efficiently handled to be dull, or even overtly bad — though viewers may find themselves rolling their eyes a bit after a while. But the overall lack of conviction reduces content that should be alarming and macabre to the status of an unmemorable time-killer. 

Reviewed online, April 7, 2024. MPA Rating: R. Running time: 97 MIN.

• Production: (U.K.-U.S.) A Liongate release of a Lionsgate, Grindstone Entertainment Group presentation, in association with Red Sea Media, Bondit Media Capital, Tartan Bridge Films of a High Five Films production. Producers: Paul Aniello, Gianni Capaldi, Roman Kopelevich. Executive producers: Barry Brooker, Stan Wertlieb, Roman Viaris, Greg Sinaiko, Luke Taylor, Matthew Helderman.
• Crew: Director: Terry McDonough. Screenplay: Koji Steven Sakai, Gianni Capaldi, Paul Aniello; story: Paul Aniello. Camera: Matthias Poetsch. Editors: Luis de la Madrid, Sean Albertson, Kurt Nishimura. Music: Andrea Ridolfi. 
• With: Samuel L. Jackson, Vincent Cassel, Gianni Capaldi, Laura Haddock, John Hannah, Kate Dickie, Brian McCardie.

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RETRO REVIEW: Legend Is a Cult Classic Movie for Tom Cruise Fans

Legend flopped upon its release in 1985, but the fantasy-adventure film starring Tom Cruise and directed by Ridley Scott deserves its cult status.

The 1985 fantasy-adventure film Legend had everything going for it. Ridley Scott had made his mark with The Duellists , then turned to science fiction with the Academy Award-winning Alien and the multiple versions of Blade Runner , before aiming at fantasy filmmaking. Tom Cruise had just finished football drama All the Right Moves and was a year away from mega-star status thanks to Top Gun . With tremendous talent in front of and behind the camera, Legend felt like a sure thing.. until it wasn't.

With special effects wizard Rob Bottin ( Robocop ) burying actors beneath prosthetics and Oscar-nominated production designer Assheton Gorton ( The French Lieutenant’s Woman ) creating this world from the ground up, Legend certainly looks amazing. Cinematographer Alex Thomson is also no stranger to fantasy, having been Oscar-nominated for his work on Excalibur . All that creativity, plus an immense amount of money and time, amounts to something -- even if it's not commercial success. Rather, Legend became a cult hit and it deserves all of the appreciation that's been lobbed on it since.

Tim Curry is the True Star of Legend

Curry's Performance as Darkness Stands Out

10 Best Fantasy Movies That Aren't Based on Fairy Tales

Tim Curry is the centerpiece around which Legend revolves. A preening, elegant and animalistic creation, his eight-foot-tall villain Darkness is an example of great 1980's practical movie effects . Curry -- encased in a full-body prosthetic -- creates an oppressive presence that dominates Legend from the shadows. Cloven hoofs, manicured talons, and a rich baritone distinguish this denizen of the underworld from the innocence above, while the actor towers over his co-stars. Even though Darkness only appears in the later part of Legend , Curry's performance is the most memorable. He elevates overly elaborate pantomime villainy to legendary status.

When Legend was released in 1985, Curry was best known as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in Frankenstein -inspired The Rocky Horror Picture Show , both on stage and on screen. There is no denying the theatrical element that comes through in his portrayal of Darkness, yet there is nothing camp or melodramatic about it. In fact, considering Legend is in a genre that has traditionally aimed at children, he certainly scares audiences by giving them something grotesque. This shocking difference is hammered home in the film's final act, when animal sacrifice and devil worship throw Legend into freefall. But Curry overshadows Cruise, both literally and figuratively.

Tom Cruise Makes an Early Impression - By Not Making One

Legend undersells cruise's hero character jack, 10 best tom cruise movies (that aren’t mission: impossible films).

The true test of any actor is their ability to make an impression. Legend pushes that idea to breaking point with Tom Cruise, who does less than zero throughout the film. Scott captures him amid pollen with glitter glistening on his skin opposite an equally perfect Mia Sara, and the heightened lovefest between their characters Jack and Lili lasts throughout the movie. Nothing more is asked of Cruise acting-wise, apart from the occasional action sequence; Legend is far from the best Tom Cruise performance .

However, there still are glimpses of the movie star he would become. Cruise has an on-screen presence that is impossible to mimic. He may not make a wonderful impression like other fantasy movie heroes, but he walks away from Legend almost unscathed. That's impressive, since at one point he faces off against a towering Tim Curry wrapped in bright red skin and brandishing a broadsword. Less than a year after Legend , Cruise was winning over film audiences as Lt. Pete "Maverick" Mitchell in Top Gun -- proving how much bigger he was than any one movie.

Legend's Uneven Story Kept It From Being a Box Office Hit

The film has a number of production flaws, ridley scott's 10 best movies according to rotten tomatoes.

There is no denying that Legend lacks a story of any substance . There is so little for audiences to hang onto dramatically that the movie soon becomes an exercise in artistic appreciation. Scenes either feel stretched out too long or lack meaningful dialogue, and writer William Hjortsberg ( Angel Heart ) turns every fairy exchange into rhyming couplets that soon become distracting. But that's not the only way in which the movie wanders off in its own direction -- feeling more like an arthouse film than anything else.

Between the endless shots of Lili running in slow motion, or Jack breaking through sheet ice as the world is plunged into darkness, Legend loses its way. Moments of visual genius are overshadowed by artistic overindulgence, meaning that scenes simply do not work. Whether the fact that the movie's primary set burned down affected the finished product is up for debate, but Legend suffers from tonal inconsistency throughout. Thankfully, Bottin and his team of visual effects boffins manage to turn this turgid trifle into a cult classic, thanks to some groundbreaking techniques.

How Did Legend Become a Cult Classic?

The movie's makeup and effects save the day, 11 most underrated fantasy movies.

From another cult hit in John Carpenter's The Thing to winning an Oscar for Total Recall , Rob Bottin has elevated every movie he touches. In the case of Legend , he designed, implemented, and engineered some of the most intricate practical effects ever seen on film. He was rewarded for his efforts with another Academy Award nomination in the Best Makeup category. Beyond the creation of Darkness, Bottin also brought to life another creature ripped from the pages of a fairy tale nightmare called Meg Mucklebones, played by future Star Trek fan-favorite Robert Picardo.

Encountered by Jack on his way to the underworld, Meg is a marvel of prosthetic make-up and hydraulic invention. Buried beneath this terrifying disguise, Picardo embraces his inner swamp monster. Gnarled, nasty and after a tasty morsel, Meg Mucklebones is the perfect combination of visual effects and acting prowess. Her leering over her intended victim surrounded by a putrid bog is one of the most powerful moments in this disjointed movie.

There is no doubting the ambition behind Legend , which oddly comes off like a cross between Blade Runner and Someone to Watch Over Me . Legend has some of the most impressive visuals Ridley Scott has ever shaped -- including towering trees, woodland glades and awe-inspiring set designs. Those who helped create its world -- including Bottin, Thomson, Gorton and composer Jerry Goldsmith -- made something truly dazzling. Legend might be flawed, but there are elements that shine through the visual distractions, wafer-thin plotline and overly engineered acting. Hiding therein are moments of sheer filmmaking genius. With numerous cuts to choose from and an endless array of interpretations to draw from them, Legend is the cult classic that keeps giving.

In a fantastical realm, a young hero embarks on a quest to rescue a princess and recover the last of the unicorns from a malevolent figure who seeks to plunge the world into eternal night. Joined by allies from the forest, he confronts dark forces in an epic battle to restore balance to the land.

• Tim Curry's performance carries the film.
• Excellent makeup and visual effects throughout.
• Stunning production design and superior score.
• A less impressive performance by Tom Cruise.
• Thinly-drawn story and uneven pacing.

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

Legend of the Lost Locket

When an antiques expert takes on a quest to find a long-lost locket that promises to bring the wearer true love, she finds herself in conflict with, but also attracted to, the town sheriff. When an antiques expert takes on a quest to find a long-lost locket that promises to bring the wearer true love, she finds herself in conflict with, but also attracted to, the town sheriff. When an antiques expert takes on a quest to find a long-lost locket that promises to bring the wearer true love, she finds herself in conflict with, but also attracted to, the town sheriff.

• Michelle Ricci
• Natasha Burnett
• Viv Leacock
• Samantha Cole
• 4 User reviews
• 6 Critic reviews

• Amelia Scott

• Marcus Forrest

• Francine Halbrook

• Jack O Shea

• Poppy Evans

• Mayor Bob Truman
• (as Christina Meredith Lewall)

• Luis Alvarez

• James Jacobs

• Wilma Featherstonehaugh

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User reviews 4

• Apr 16, 2024
• April 4, 2024 (United States)
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

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• Runtime 1 hour 30 minutes

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‘Arcadian’ Review: Take Two as Needed for Postapocalyptic Pain

Nicolas Cage defends his family against a paranormal siege in this derivative, low-budget creature feature.

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By Calum Marsh

An important plot point in “Arcadian,” a domestic postapocalyptic drama bearing a close resemblance to “A Quiet Place,” revolves around medicine: people needing it, others hoarding it and so on. What kind of medicine is it? What is it for? The movie doesn’t say. It comes in an aspirin bottle, and the characters just call it “medicine,” and we have to take it on faith that it’s important.

“Arcadian” is fashionably oblique, implying more than it explains. (An improvement over the expository whiteboard in “A Quiet Place,” which offered bullet-form creature data like a PowerPoint presentation.)

The story is told in a cursory way: Paul (Nicolas Cage) lives on a remote farm with his teenage sons, Thomas (Maxwell Jenkins) and Joseph (Jaeden Martell). By day they forage and scavenge to survive; at night their fortified home is besieged by feral beasts, which (it is faintly suggested) are the mutated victims of an epidemic that wiped out most of humankind.

The director, Benjamin Brewer, uses many tried-and-true tricks to conceal budgetary limitations, obscuring his monsters in shadows or putting them behind doors, banging, to make the movie feel bigger than it is. He builds tension in brief pockets of silence, and when we do see the monsters, they look quite good — sticky and spindly in a tactile way, like the aliens in John Carpenter’s “The Thing.”

But a competent director can do only so much with a poor script, and “Arcadian” is littered with shortcuts and screenwriting clichés. It is vague to the point of careless, and often seems to be inventing rules for its monsters as it goes along. We hardly need everything to be detailed. But at the very least, it would have been nice to know more about that medicine.

Arcadian Rated R for graphic violence and disturbing imagery. Running time: 1 hour 32 minutes. In theaters.

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