The Horror Show
The Devil's Candy
by Sean Byrne
I had been putting off watching this movie because it looked kind of like there was too much style and not of a lot of substance, but I have never been so wrong.
The Devil's Candy starts off strong, introducing us first to our main protagonist, Ray, played by character actor Pruitt Taylor Vince. Ray is plagued by a voice he refers to as Him. He is loud inside Ray's head and the only way he can drown out His demands is to play his Flying V guitar at insane volumes. When his mother can't take it anymore, she threatens to send Ray away. Instead, he clobbers her over the head with his guitar. Ray's father comes home and is heartbroken and takes his own life. Ray is sent away.
Enter the Hellman family. Jesse is the artist metal head dad played by Ethan Embry and Astrid, the beautician mom, is played by Shiri Appleby. Then there's Zooey (Kiara Glasco) the teenage daughter who has a special bond with her father. The family moves into Ray's family home. Jesse is working on a painting for a bank when he starts hearing voices, the same voice that Ray has heard. Jesse's painting starts to turn dark and disturbing. Jesse becomes super obsessed. Suddenly, Ray turns up and wants to come home. He becomes enamored with Zooey to the point of “To Catch A Predator” levels. It becomes one of those interesting stories that grabs you by the guts.
This film has to be a real hidden gem that I should have watched a lot sooner. Ray is a sympathetic character in a way. I chalk that up to Pruitt Taylor Vince. He is one of my favorite character actors ever. He can chill your heart and warm it at the same time. The family is natural and likable. Zooey is not as annoying as kids can be in horror. She is a scared child. She really makes you feel sorry for what she is going through. Jesse is well acted by Ethan Embry. I have seen him in a lot of things and he's kind of hit or miss for me, but I enjoyed the love he shared with Zooey. It was great! His hair was not. It's so totally a wig.
I don't want to give too much away with this because it's a movie that people need to experience. It's one of those films that is stunning visually and can pull off an interesting story. The Devil's Candy is on Netflix and I recommend it fully. It's pretty Sweet.
Robin Thompson, HMS
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