John’s Horror Corner: We Summon the Darkness (2019), an “okay” movie about heavy metal, Satanic cults and domestic mayhem in the 1980s.

MY CALL: This “somewhat” good flick is feisty murderous fun. But it isn’t anything we haven’t seen before… and we’ve seen it largely done better and more creatively elsewhere. Still, while I was honestly disappointed by the lack of gore and intensity, this still offers good performances and good energy. MORE MOVIES LIKE We Summon the Darkness: Movies that did much better jobs of depicting Satanic Cults and their shenanigans along with a good sense of humor include Ready or Not (2019), The Babysitter (2017), maybe Satanic Panic (2019) and Jennifer’s Body (2009). Another good one, minus any humor, would be House of the Devil (2009).

Driving through 1980s Indiana on their way to a heavy metal concert, Alexis (Alexandra Daddario; Burying the Ex, Texas Chainsaw 3D), Val (Maddie Hasson; Impulse) and Bev (Amy Forsyth; Channel Zero, Hell Fest) hear some startling news on the radio. Apparently, members of a Satanic cult have been on a killing spree across the Midwest, leaving 18 dead bodies and Satanic symbols in their wake.

Our trio of protagonists quickly meet a playful trio of fellow metalheads at the concert. After the concert, Mark (Keean Johnson; Alita, Spooksville), Kovacs (Logan Miller; Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse, Escape Room 1-2) and Ivan (Austin Swift) join the ladies to their family country McMansion to keep the party going. But after a drinking game gets a little out of hand, a battle (to the death) of the sexes kicks off complete with stabbing, harsh language and cattiness. But, in terms of gore, there’s little worth mentioned—and that was very disappointing.

Director Marc Meyers (My Friend Dahmer) and writer Alan Trezza (Burying the Ex) weren’t trying to reinvent the wheel here. This is fun, but it isn’t anything we haven’t seen before. That said, the entire does well and I enjoyed the small Johnny Knoxville (Polar, Men in Black II) role.

Lots of blood, action, feisty murderous shenanigans and catty drama maintain decent pacing as sides change and tides turn. There’s a good energy to this movie… buuuuuut it’s nothing that’s going to stick with you like Ready or Not (2019) or The Babysitter (2017). Nope. The performances are good, but none are memorable; the writing is fine, but nothing is inspired; and deaths and action were entertaining enough, but nothing was shocking. This falls more in the territory of Satanic Panic (2019); very fun and worthy of your time, yet very little need (if ever) to revisit it.