Review: The Devils Rock (2011)

Review by Disgruntled Monkey

Director: Paul Campion

Writers: Paul Finch, Paul Campion

Stars: Craig Hall, Matthew Sunderland, Gina Varela

Nazi’s, demons, full on gore effects and being straight to DVD; this film has all the hall marks of being a movie that is exceptionally disposable. Yet somehow, this movie is not only solid, but it manages to be meaningful as well. So let’s get down to brass tacks and talk about this ‘Nazi Demon’ movie.

Two soldiers are tasked with destroying several gun emplacements in the Channel Islands to distract Germany on the eve of D-Day. However, they inadvertently walk into the middle of a plot by the Nazi’s to unleash an evil that might just wipe away the allies. Quicker than you can say ‘Nein’ the gore hits the fan and a desperate struggle to hold back the forces of hell begins.

What I really dug about this movie was how it took an almost Hellraiser approach to everything. Demons are involved but they are not in truth the real enemy, it’s what’s inside the main characters that are truly the villain. It comes down to a battle of wits between Captain Ben Grogan (Craig Hall), Colonel Klaus Meyer (Matthew Sunderland) and the Demon (Gina Varela). All who give top notch performances, and between the three of them create a good portion of the tension.

Introducing the devil.

Obviously shot on a small budget, the movie doesn’t change settings often or offer a large amount of action. It all comes down to a mental battle - and while this could bore some people - I was always along for the ride. Thankfully while being static, it doesn’t shy away from the gore at all. All special effects are practical and look realistic enough. I was slightly worried about the demon make up which I had seen from production shots but in the end it was pretty damn effective, keeping the camera away from some of the goofier ideas.

The Devil’s Rock is an over the top movie, but it also has a really human story that grounds it from flying to far off the rails. Honestly this movie was a pleasant surprise and for fans of demonic type horror I can’t suggest this enough. Do yourself a favour and track this movie down, it’s one of those low budget gems that sometimes slip through peoples fingers.