It’s that time of year again when Sydney is offered some horrifying and thrilling delights as part of the Freak Me Out program strand at the Sydney Film Festival.

Among the cracking lineup comes a directorial debut feature by Jack McHenry that speaks right to my heart as it cleverly crafts 1930s British decadence. With a cast of fops and socialites, Here Comes Hell injects a twisted and psychotic world of the undead into the depression era.

The tagline sums it up perfectly, “Downton Abbey meets The Evil Dead.”

I found myself drawn in seamlessly by the rich cinematography, which perfectly encapsulates the movies of that time, and you can tell that Jack McHenry and his cinematographer Rory McHenry are lovers of the craft as spend time drawing you in before twisting the knife abruptly as it spins into the unknown and thrusts the characters beyond their wildest imaginations.

The concept follows the recklessly rich, Victor, who invites gun-wielding American George, sharp-tongued Christine, tennis playing Teddy, and his new girlfriend Elizabeth (who is our entry point into the family unit and the only character not born of higher breeding). When Victor decides to host a seance in order to spice up the evenings gatherings, the night takes a drastic turn as they unleash the spirit of a former owner of the mansion who had a curious passion with the dark arts.

Here Comes Hell could so easily be sucked into a vortex of the absurd and unbelievable but thanks to some crafty dialogue and deliciously delectable humour, provided by McHenry again and his screenwriting partner Alice Sidgwick, we’re treated to a fun romp into the macabre with some killer effects to boot.

The Diagnosis:

Despite its slow start, the gears grind up and we’re given a fun ride into a dark world that combines a twisted humour with an homage to a decadent time.

• Saul Muerte
  

TICKETS

Sat 8 June 9pm: Event Cinemas George St
Tue 11 June 8:30pm: Dendy Newtown
Head here for Tickets