Belzebuth (2019)
Film details
Horror · Fantasy · Emilio Portes · 1h 54min
Synopsis
While leading a police investigation of a massacre in a public school at the border of Mexico and U.S.A, special Agent Emanuel Ritter links this strange case to the coming and rising of the ancient demon Belzebuth. But in order to stop the trail of upcoming infanticides, Ritter shall have to confront himself before dealing with the forces of good and evil.
Verdict
Extreme terror with graphic infanticides; disturbing violence unacceptable for families.
In-depth analysis
Belzebuth is a supernatural horror film that treats demonic forces with theological gravity: evil is real, not a psychological metaphor. In that sense, its worldview recognizes the spiritual dimension of the conflict. The problem is not in the substance — the struggle between good and evil is a legitimate theme — but in the form: the film resorts to extreme graphic violence against children, showing infanticides in a visceral and disturbing manner. The scenes of massacres in hospitals and schools are crude and are designed to shock. Agent Ritter undergoes a genuine spiritual conflict, facing his personal loss and forces that transcend the natural. The direction is competent and the script builds tension effectively. However, the visual cruelty crosses every prudential line: it is not content a parent should allow in their home, regardless of the viewer's maturity. Horror can be a legitimate genre when it exposes evil without reveling in it; this work, due to its unnecessary crudeness, does not meet that criterion. Not recommended for any family context.