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Cast: Casper Van Dien, Zachary Mooren (“Aquarius”), Linara Washington (“Grey’s Anatomy”) and Jennifer Wenger (Tales of Halloween)
'Darkness Reigns' tells the story of a group of filmmakers shooting a movie in a reportedly haunted hotel that are faced with an unfathomable demonic force that possesses and attacks both the crew and the film’s star, Casper Van Dien. Will the film’s director be able to escape with the paranormal proof he has captured, or will he succumb to the hellish plans of the demon who has surfaced?
'Darkness Reigns' comes from Writer/Director, Andrew P. Jones. You might know his work from films like, "Haunting of Cellblock 11" and "Kings of the Evening." His newest film takes us inside an old abandoned hotel where the director plans on shooting his newest film, "Defanatus Soul." They have landed their star actor, Casper Van Dien and are ready to begin shooting. They also have a documentary crew who will record interviews and such for the DVD release. But what the cast and crew don’t know is someone made a pact with a demon who plans on collecting on the deal.
Writer/Director, Andrew P. Jones let me read the script to the film way back in 2016 when it was titled, "Defanatus Soul." I really liked the whole concept then and I like it even more now. The movie is everything I imagined in my head as I was reading the script, the suspense, fear and excitement is finally on film and Director, Andrew P. Jones along with his entire cast and crew did a fantastic job bringing it all to life.
The film takes place inside an old hotel and it is the perfect setting for the story. It is like a character all by itself, at times it reminded me of "The Shining." It had that creepy vibe going on. Jones did a great job of making the most of the budget he had to work with here. The effects are very well done, the demon itself is awesome and he keeps the film moving at a nice pace while providing the audience with plenty of suspense and scares.
I cannot close out the review without first mentioning how great the entire cast was in the film including, Casper Van Dien, Zachary Mooren, Linara Washington and Jennifer Wenger to name only a few.
It was awesome to finally see the film after reading the script so long ago. 'Darkness Reigns' is a devilish good time that will keep you engaged and frightened the entire time. There is also a twist toward the end of the film and the secret crew member who made his pact is also revealed. A welcomed addition to the horror genre so be sure to check it out when it comes to VOD 7/10/18.
Released by Wild Eye Releasing
**** Out Of *****