Where are the missing children? Or maybe just Devon, specifically.
Jenni ‘Jwoww’ Farley makes her feature-length directorial debut with horror film Devon. I’m sure many of you are thinking this is an odd pairing, especially considering that ‘Jwoww’ is a reality TV icon due to her role in MTV’s Jersey Shore and Jersey Shore: Family Vacation. It appears, however, that Jenni has a strong background in horror flicks as she previously served as executive producer on Jersey Shore Massacre (2015) and has another scary movie, Nanny Cam, gearing up for 2025. Listen, making a debut in this capacity is a stressing and dangerous venture, so I didn’t expect Devon to be especially polished by any means. There’s a difference between “independent film” and “low budget film,” and Devon definitely falls into the first category. There’s a lot of talent and drive to be found here, despite it not being completely picture perfect.
A collaboration between JLF Productions, Cineverse, RAP and Scream Box, Devon is written, directed and executive produced by Jenni ‘Jwoww’ Farley. It was produced by Anthony Serrantonio, Zack Carpinello and Deanna Testa, and features cinematography by Philip Toran and editing by Tara Rule. Lead cast members include Tara Rule, Hank Santos, Rotisha Geter, Lauren Carlin and Steven Etienne. Devon follows five amateur explorers who respond to an internet ad looking for a missing child in a condemned, abandoned insane asylum. Justifiably, authorities were never able to properly search the asylum during the investigation… because it appears something much more sinister lurks inside the walls. Who knew the explorers prize for finding Devon would be death? This film is now available to watch on demand!
I’m going to start the formal review part of this article with things I didn’t like so that I can finish on a positive note. To begin, Devon is a little short! It’s only 72 minutes long including opening/closing credits, meaning the actual narrative itself is only just over an hour long. And to that time constraint, it takes the characters until minute 17-18 to go inside the asylum – the central location. My humble suggestion to Jenni Farley in the future is just to be a little more conscious of time constraints. Also, there’s a lot of sitting around and talking instead of exploring the asylum. I understand it’s to build character development, story and suspense, but this is a horror film, so there needs to be a lot more dirt, sweat and grit to keep scary movie fans interested from start to finish. Other than that, the camera quality jumps around from time to time, but that can easily be dismissed by the fact that Devon is a found footage flick and different people are using their own unique camera to record.
Obviously, Devon’s major selling point is the kick ass location in Pennsylvania. Honestly, it opens itself up to sequels if Jenni Farley ever wanted to go that route. And filming Devon as a found footage narrative really leans into the darkness of the asylum. It just wouldn’t have worked aesthetically if every scene was well lit and looking like a million dollars. This was good decision making on Farley’s part and shows that she can be a very capable director in the future. I also thoroughly enjoyed the entire cast. While all of the explorers did a wonderful job, this was for sure a female-led cast and the women pulled in a lot of fantastic performances. Especially Rotisha Geter. Girl, Hollywood’s about to come calling after this moment. Devon also relies on the supernatural after – what else – they use a Ouija board in a suspicious room. I think people are generally freaked out by Ouija boards, so this was a good way to bring in the emotional/mental violence.
Honestly, Devon reminds me of Grave Encounters (2011). The horror is brought forth by loud noises, items falling over, characters getting separated and lost, and imagery that would be generally unnerving if you discovered them in real life. Devon isn’t a “backhand to the face” kind of horror film, but I still believe found footage fans are going to enjoy it for my reasons listed above. A well-done directorial debut and something to be proud of for the entire production. And, really, this is just the beginning for Farley’s career in the genre. Final Score: 5.5 out of 10.
