Summary
I Trapped the Devil is an atmospheric horror, that asks a big question.
I Trapped the Devil follows a husband, Matt (Bowen), and wife Karen (Burke), who decide to spend Christmas with Matt’s estranged brother Steve (Poythress) at the family home, only Steve isn’t prepared to host because he has a secret that could change their lives forever. Steve believes he has trapped the devil in his basement, leading to the question being asked between the three: “What if this is the devil? Could we let it out?” We are left to see how the three will sort out this situation.
I Trapped the Devil doesn’t turn to jump scares, instead taking us into a hypothetical question about just what would you do if the same question was posed to you. Having this involve a family shows us how you would also take another step back before deciding which side of the answer you would fall into. The story does keep us guessing to what could be the consequences to letting this person out, firstly if they are just a person and secondly if they are in fact the devil. When you give the audience a question to answer themselves, you will be making them think, which is always a good thing. The story does answer its own questions in a manner that does make sense and does work with the atmosphere created through the story.
I Trapped the Devil has performances from Scott Poythress, who is the man that believes he has captured the devil and shows us the pure conviction behind his beliefs, which is needed; AJ Bowen, who has the horror roots which come through with how conflicted he becomes while caught in the middle of what to do; and Susan Burke completes the cast, with her performance held back for a reason which is needed to let the brothers deal with their own issues.
I Trapped the Devil is a horror film that doesn’t just turn to jump scares, it builds the tension up, focusing more on just what could be happening, what will happen if this is the devil and they got out, what changes it might make to the world, and what changes could it have made already; this is a true thinking horror of just what could change.
Overall, I Trapped the Devil is a thinking person’s horror; it will ask you the ultimate question of what you would do if you had captured the devil, even if it could be just an innocent person.
