A lovely opening and stellar main title reveal leads to a more urban setting than we are used to when it comes to our Deadite adventures. Estranged sisters reunite at recently single mom Ellie’s Los Angeles crumbling apartment complex. The eccentric kids are ecstatic to have their aunt Beth back in their company with her stories of worldwide adventures and a lifestyle they can only dream about but her recent pregnancy reveal has her shook. The sisters have some drama and Ellie’s life ain’t going much better as her husband is now “parenting” from afar and their home is set for demolition, leaving them with no sure dwelling. These real-life personal issues are gonna have to take a number and head to the back of the line because an earthquake has just opened up the ground in the apartment’s parking garage and revealed a long-sealed bank vault. Ellie’s son Danny goes to explore and comes across some very old vinyl records (he being an aspiring DJ has him scooping them bad boys up) and a room containing what looks to be a sarcophagus surrounded by religious paraphernalia. Uh oh. The old journal he pulls out of the busted artifact is covered in bugs which should be a good sign you have entered into the wrong kind of fantasy adventure. But, kids are stupid… especially teenage boys. Granted, he thinks it may be worth something which will help out the family but he cuts his finger trying to open the damn thing and blood seems to grant him access. Uh fucking oh. His older sister is rightfully freaked the fuck out because the illustrations inside are definitely something nobody should be viewing. Danny then throws the uncovered record on the turntable and plays it. Naturally, it’s a recording of a sermon involving the reading of a rare artifact… the Book of the Dead. It’s… pretty fucking awesome. Ellie is unfortunate enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time when all Hell breaks loose and becomes a vessel for a very old evil. The family and a small batch of tenants still occupying the newly condemned building find themselves trapped and unable to make contact with the outside world as brutal violence comes down like a storm of shit. A game cast brings sympathy to their characters thrown into a situation so many levels of fucked up it just seems unfair. Alyssa Sutherland is excellent as Ellie and manages to pull off believable mother as well as horrifying antagonist. Also great is Lily Sullivan’s Beth, forced to become a protector to her family when mama becomes something abominable. The unheard of likable teenagers and a delightfully odd pre-teen fill out the cast. There’s some unsettling visuals to go along with the intense gore and heavy physical trauma (I’m sure plenty of mental trauma too) that keeps the cringe-inducing violent heart of the series alive. If you can go in and quiet that nagging voice comparing everything to what came before, you can have yourself some fun… or you can keep your head firmly lodged up your own ass screaming about the good old days and complaining about creativity as you praise the Terrifier series. Up to you. We get some delightful nods to the inspiration and Bruce Campbell’s voice on the vinyl recording. A very good time that tends to lean a bit into simplicity but it’s no major hinderance. Extra points for giving a horrifically splendid tip of the cap to Doré’s Archane’s Punishment.
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