Director – Dylan R. Nix (Sharp Candy, Baron Von Laugho’s Halloween Spook-a-thon)
Starring – David E. McMahon (He Never Left, Johnny Z), Claire Louise Huder (The Truth About Monsters, The Things We Bloom)
Release Date – 2023
Rating 4/5
Many years ago I befriended filmmaker, actor, and author Dylan R. Nix on social media. I believe the initial contact was through Instagram when he was sharing pictures from his Halloween horror anthology Baron von Laugho’s Halloween Spook-a-thon. I made contact with him and was lucky enough to get a review copy where I immediately fell in love with it. Since then I’ve incorporated it into my October horror binge each year and recommend it to anyone that is willing to listen. Since then Dylan has put out anthology series, another movie or two, and several written works.
Way back in October he reached out to me to review his newest horror feature The Demon of Serling. I wasn’t able to squeeze it into my October horror binge but I kept it in queue until I could get to it. Due to the large volume of films sent over during that time I wasn’t able to get to it until now. I want to thank Dylan for being so patient with me and allowing Horror Society the opportunity to see his newest film.
**Spoiler Alert** The film follows a young man who is searching for his girlfriend who is either missing or dodging him. He suspects that she is avoiding him but news of a serial killer dubbed the Demon of Serling preying on women in the area has him a little on edge. Things take an unexpected turn when he helps his landlord place something heavy in his vehicle. He realizes it was a body but instead of panicking, he befriends him. The two have long conversations which leads to the young man realizing that his relationship woes is brought on by himself. **Spoiler Alert**
I absolutely fucking loved this film. In fact, I watched it twice prior to writing this review. While I wouldn’t necessarily label it a horror film I would call it an effective dark drama. Going into this one thinking it’s a horror film will leave you feeling very underwhelmed but its extremely enjoyable if you are looking for a true crime drama or a dark thriller.
The acting in this one is great. Nix has entertained me during Halloween for several years now as Baron Von Laugho. He is very energetic and really gets into character in the film. However, we see a different side of him in The Demon of Serling. He is way more serious, grounded, and a huge asshole. This just shows how well rounded he is as an actor and I can’t wait to see his other genre efforts in front of the camera and behind it. With that being said, I was blown away by David E. McMahon as Semward Yarley, the Demon of Serling. He’s one of my favorite actors and has been for sometime so I was genuinely excited to see him partner with Nix on this project. He is not the traditional serial killer you would expect in a true crime flick and which also speaks to his skill as an actor. I was also impressed by Claire Louise Huder’s performance. Not only is she extremely gorgeous but she was so genuine in her role. Her character was very grounded and the film makes great use of her acting and sex appeal.
The story for this one is a character driven piece that focuses more on the relationship of a young man struggling with find himself and love and a man who was abused as a child who takes his frustrations out on women. The character dynamics is a lot of fun and a film that consists mostly of conversations between two characters oddly works. I found myself pulled in and didn’t look away until the credits. With that being said, as much as I enjoyed the film I did find the film’s run time to be a little too long. A few scenes could use some trimming without compromising the story’s integrity.
Finally, this is not a bloody flick. Sure, there is a little of the red stuff but the film’s main focus is the characters and their interactions with one another over blood and gore. Overall, The Demon of Serling is a fantastic indie drama about a serial killer and a man trying to sort his life out. It’s not a film you would expect a horror site to cover but I honestly loved it. I highly recommend it.
