The Devil’s Rejects
2005
Drama (Action, Horror)
Rated: R
Running Time: 107 minutes
Starring:
Directed By: Rob Zombie
Rating: 8 out of 10
Outline
The serial killing Firefly
family is on the run from the police.
Review
I was not looking forward
to this film as its predecessor House of a 1000 Corpses was a tedious watch.
This film quickly shows it is way different in both design and scope and I
found I was captivated with this movie pretty much from the start. Devils Rejects
is the story of the murderous Firefly family as they run from a vengeful cop
and a murderous police force. For the purpose of this review Devils Rejects will
be known as DR and House of a 1000 Corpses will be called HTC.
If you liked HTC this may
not be the movie for you. DR has thrown out all the unnecessary gore and human
mutilation and turned itself into a pretty captivating revenge movie. Don’t get
me wrong there is still plenty of blood and a high body count but there is a
sense to the madness in this film. We are back following the murderous serial
killing Firefly family as they are on the run from the law. The film starts and
the first thing you will notice is it is taking place under the blazing sun. A
sense of realism is captured as no longer are these characters skulking around in the
night. As the family runs from the law they never stray from their evil
instincts. Instead of just fleeing in any direction they take the time to hole
up in different locales and mentally and physically torture their captives.
There is always a gritty sense that something awful could happen at any moment
and that is a cool feeling. Throats are cut and people die and the nervous tension
will never leave the viewer.
The acting and more
specifically the characters themselves have been overhauled and perfected in DR.
No longer are these characters monsters in human bodies. They are humans who
are monsters and that is a big deal to change up. Mass murderers who eat ice cream, bicker, and even show affection, are even creepier then simply someone who likes
to kill. Humanizing the Firefly family is the smartest thing director Rob
Zombie could have done as it gives the film realistic texture. The acting is
above average and the casting is spot on. Where they find some of these
background people always surprises me as they are truly odd looking. The standouts
in no particular order are: Baby Firefly played by Sheri Moon Zombie. Her
character is cool with her good looks, nice teeth, and shrill voice. She is an
unlikely killer and that is why she works. Next is Captain Spaulding played by
Sid Haig. Clowns have always been creepy and Haig takes it to a new level with
his rotten teeth and crazy laugh. Last is Sherriff Wydell played by William
Forsythe. His barely contained anger as he searches for these killers is
palpable. He stole the show when the Firefly family was not on screen.
As the film progressed I
realized the oddest sensation. I started to care about the Firefly Family even
though they are serial killers. I wanted them to get caught at the start but by
the middle and towards the end I was pulling for them. That is truly what made
this film so special. The viewer will get wrapped up in the chase and the
unbending revenge mindset of the Sherriff. DR comes across as a serious
drama and at the drop of a hat someone gets violently removed from the story
reminding you it is a horror. The viewer will love the very down to earth
soundtrack and will love the odd joke thrown in to break up some serious and brutal
scenes of death. As the film comes to a pretty satisfying end I couldn’t help
but feel this is one of the most complete horrors I have ever seen. It has a
generous amount of scary situations but also is super realistic making the film
even more terrifying.
Director and writer Rob
Zombie took this movie in a different direction from HTC and just rocked it. The
characters are interesting and yet still command the murderous edge. The story
is fantastic as it deftly entwines a cool revenge story and it makes the
characters go from heels to likeable. The kills happen frequently but don’t
overdo it. The music enhances the vibe of the film and the casting is great.
Using grainy looking film and having the film shot mostly during the day were
nice touches. Zombie just took this family in a whole new direction and it worked
for me on almost every level.
I give this movie a huge
recommendation especially to those horror addicts that like a good story with
their blood.
T Factor + If you like Rob Zombie as a director this
could score higher on the rating scale.
T Factor – If you don’t like gore in your horror than
this could score lower on the rating scale.
If you liked this film reel recommendations: House of
a 1000 Corpses, Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
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