Few setups and storylines have been explored and exploited more in the horror genre than the team of paranormal explorers contacting the other side and being confronted with their skeptical beliefs being confirmed wrong. From “The Legend of Hell House” to “Grave Encounters” and its sequel, “Ghost Killers vs. Bloody Mary” to the celebrated South Korean effort “Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum“, to an entire franchise of TV shows based around “Ghost Hunters” performing this around the world, this concept is a huge part of the genre with entries being found around the globe. This Malaysian Barnstorm Entertainment-Brando Studios co-production, from director Brando Lee and starring a slew of recognizable American actors and actresses, arrives as a new entry in the style on October 7 from Outsider Pictures.
Led by troubled medium Jules (Fiona Dourif), her friends Mattie (Jordan Belfi), Wolf (Randy Wayne), Ben (Harris Dickinson), and Annie (Thao Nhu Phan), an American television crew of paranormal investigators, go to the home of Ian (William Miller) and Martha (Malin Crepin), a couple who claim to have experienced inexplicable, threatening disturbances. Delving into the mystery, they encounter possessions and apparitions more terrifying than any they'd witnessed before – actual contact with the other side. As the cameras roll and bodies are possessed, they're inevitably overwhelmed by this violent supernatural force. Their only hope? Jules. She refuses to face what really happened when her first supernatural encounter left her sister dead. But her dark past, if she can unlock it, could be their only hope of stopping the demon before it's too late.
There's quite a lot to like about “Don't Look.” Among the better qualities on display is the fantastic supernatural atmosphere generated by Lee which provides for an engrossing overall setup. An initial encounter with a local medicine man performing a ritual on a tormented woman provides a great start to everything, with the ritual generating a strong shock with its conclusion. This resolution to the ritual allows for an easy entrance into the supernatural world to follow that the explorers carry on throughout the rest of the film. The backstory of Ian and Martha's haunted house with the history of strange occurrences to the past residents, bizarre incidents to the clothing or paintings they own, or the recap of events that take place at the house provides a great false start with the explanations to their queries. The suddenness of it all explodes in their face and bringing about the genuine supernatural activity which ties nicely into the setup provided.
This carries over into the stellar supernatural action in “Don't Look.” Focusing on the typical kinds of sequences involving a deformed ghostly being appearing unexpectedly behind someone or strange noises blaring out of the shadows, this doesn't really bring much new to the table until things start becoming physical. A harrowing attack on Martha where they're repeatedly bashed against walls or a later sequence where a team member is possessed and begins taunting the rest of the group in a haunting fashion highlight this approach. The final half, featuring all manner of possessions, occult rituals, revelations about the nature of the house's haunted history, and a series of brutal encounters to keep everything in check, all score incredibly well with a thrilling escalation of events. Everything comes together nicely with some requisite bloodshed and heroics to offer quite a thrilling resolution that ends on a high note providing quite a lot to like.
“Don't Look” does have some flaws that bring it down. Among the biggest issues here is the outright bizarre behavior of the team once they arrive at Ian and Martha's and start contacting spirits. The first attack occurs the first night they're there and Jules' initial reaction is to leave without bothering them anymore, despite their experience with the paranormal. Further encounters that result in a physical beating or possession amount to nothing for their personal safety, and instead are mostly forgotten about in favor of continuing the show. Since these point to past trauma to overcome as the main point, the lack of urgency over the interactions present comes off far less impactful with that lack of concern over what's going on. This is repeated several times in their confrontations, which makes for an even bigger issue and can make this one feel less impressive. The cliched nature of the storyline and presentation here will also have to be dealt with as it plays by the book quite frequently but is overall not enough of a detriment as the other issues.
Offering up a few minor detriments and plenty of solid supernatural action, “Don't Look at the Demon” is a wholly enjoyable genre effort that manages to provide enough positive features to be worthwhile over its minor flaws. Viewers with an affinity for this brand of horror feature or fans of Asian horror, in general, will have plenty to like here.
