HORROR DVD/BLU-RAY REVIEWS

A man lives his life haunted by the past and an evil spirit which blurs the line between reality and the land of fruit cakes.

Poor Ricky. He’s a dude whose mind just isn’t right. He sees things. He hears things. And no matter how many times he attempts to set his mind straight, his brain just scatters, leaving him unable to distinguish between reality and fiction. Unable to establish anything solid in terms of who’s alive and who’s dead. He just can’t get a grip on his life which in some respects is the fault of the film. Killing Ariel never establishes a foothold in reality before it dives into the psychological realm, leaving the viewer to never fully connect with our main character, Rick, even if the story and the events surrounding him work pretty well. Everything presented throughout the film falls somewhere in the unknown since Rick can never keep his mind straight. And when you don’t have a clear mind, you’re screwed, man.

Killing Ariel is one of those films that falls right in the middle in terms of enjoyment. I liked some parts. I got bored by some parts. It strives to create a stirring psychological film, which at times it fully succeeds in creating. Everything in his life is up for question. And up until he meets a possible succubus named Ariel, Rick lives a pretty ordinary life with a wife and kids. He suffers a midlife crisis, dyes his hair, and picks up Ariel, taking her to his childhood home to have some…adult fun.

It’s at this point, around the midway through the film, when Rick kills Ariel with a shotgun during a trippy hallucination, wraps her in a shower curtain, and loads her in the car to bury her. Along the way, she suddenly seems alive when she taunts him. Is she really alive? Dead? Is he that screwed up? Or perhaps, just perhaps, there’s an evil spirit that haunts him and is seriously screwing with his brain.

Perhaps the latter rings true considering the film begins with a young Ricky waking up one night. He hears a shotgun blast. His mom had just shot his dad, and when he walks into the room, she places the weapon beneath her head and fires. If that isn’t bad enough for the little guy, a naked man appears, holding the shotgun, and claims to be his mom’s lover. But he’s probably something more…like a demon! And this demon won’t go away. Fast forward a few decades and Rick still has nightmares. The naked guy still appears from time to time, especially when he encounters Ariel.

Killing Ariel works as a horror version of Groundhog Day in some respects. The more he attempts to clear his mind by killing the mistress Ariel, the more she reappears the next morning in bed just after sex. Of course, Sonny and Cher’s “I’ve Got You Babe” doesn’t make an appearance. And in some regards, this is where the film grows old. It takes twists and turns that just aren’t all that interesting and that sometimes seem predictable.

Video: Widescreen presentation.

Audio: Presented with the power of Dolby Surround (I assume, it wasn’t listed but it sounded good.)

Notta. Had the screener.

Killing Ariel is an odd flick, one not exactly for everyone. I applaud it for attempting to be smart, scary, and gory, but it lacks the completeness to completely captivate viewers for the entire 90 minutes. Worth a look for fans the demented mind…