It seems like my last handful of reviews have been on the negative side, so I wanted to change that. I remember Frank telling me, when he saw Devil’s Due, that he was almost sick to his stomach from the jittery camera work and that the film was overall unimpressive. Our opinions differ from film to film, so I thought, “I’ll probably really dig this one. Especially since I’m a huge found footage fan.”
While most people have had their fill of the Blair Witch-style movies, I defend them for being interesting and, despite the over-use as of late, I consider the style unique. Devil’s Due, however, made me say three words out loud that I never thought I would say — “I’m over it.”
Directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett couldn’t have missed the mark any more. With a premise that truly could have been the “found footage version of Rosemary’s Baby,” it just ends up being the same old re-tread of a couple filming everything for the sake of filming everything.
The acting is pretty solid for the first half of the film, but I was truly disappointed in the second half. Zach Gilford’s performance was the best of the small cast, but he couldn’t pull off being “scared” at all. Not that Devil’s Due sucks you into the story, but if you were partially invested at any point, the last twenty minutes will pull you out of the movie, right back to your couch where you are watching just another mediocre found footage film.
I wanted to like this movie pretty bad. Instead, I welcomed the end with open arms. What was once innovative and a breath of fresh air is now a dead horse that just won’t stay dead. I personally give Devil’s Due .5 pregnancy tests out of 5.
