Horror Movie Review: Art of the Dead (2019)

Sleazy, sexy and horrifying… Art of the Dead will leave an impression. Directed by Rolfe Kanefsky and starring Tara Reid, Tania Fox and Jessica Morris, the plot surrounds seven paintings. Seven paintings that represent the seven deadly sins.

The movie opens with a rich collector (Richard Grieco) proudly bringing the last of seven paintings home. He has finally completed the collection now that Wrath is on display. However, the painting seems to send him into a trance and he ends up murdering his whole family before dying himself.

Yes, these paintings are evil. Coming to life and entrancing the person who gazes on them. Forcing them to succumb to the deadly sin it represents.

The seven paintings are auctioned off at an art gallery (run by Tara Reid). Where the rich couple of Gina (Jessica Morris) and Dylan Wilson (Lukas Hassel) buy them. They are accosted by a one-eyed priest (Robert Donavan) on the way out who tries to warn them of the evil but who listens to the mad ramblings of a priest in a horror movie!?

It turns out that the paintings came from an artist called Dorian Wilde (Danny Tesla) who painted them for Satan.

Of course, once the paintings are back at the residence of the Wilson’s they start to enact their will. Not just over the couple but their oldest son Louis (Zachary Chyz). As well as his girlfriend Kim (Alex Rinehart), the teenage Donna (Cynthia Aileen Strahan) and the youngest Jack and Suzie.

This is where Art of the Dead really gets fun. The characters beginning to embody the traits of the paintings such as Dylan’s insatiable greed for money, Gina’s insatiable lust, Donna’s insane envy of the popular girls in her school or Louis’ anger and wrath.

Not only is it portrayed in their actions but also in their physical state too. Resulting in some damn cool effects. As well as some damn eye-watering gory moments and some sexy scenes.

The only one who is unaffected by the paintings is Kim. Who quickly realises things aren’t right and ends up teaming up with the priest to try and put a stop the paintings once and for all.

One of the more impressive things about Art of the Dead is how ambitious it is. While many movies might have grand ideas, they often fail to realise them but that’s not the case here. Working within the budget to make everything look the best it could, results in a lot of memorable scenes and sequences. Add a decent cast to a lathering of gore and sleazy sexiness and Art of the Dead is well worth a watch.

Of course it’s far from perfect though. The story is very predictable and its ending is a bit of a miss. Some scenes drag on a little too much and just what the paintings are capable of gets a bit blurred as the movie goes on.

Still, it’s entertaining and some of the more outrageous moments will shock.