Horror Movie Review: The Good Things Devils Do (2020)

Written and directed by Jess Norvisgaard, The Good Things Devils Do has an all star cast that includes horror icons; Bill Oberst Jr., Linnea Quigley and Kane Hodder as well as David Rucker III, Mary Katherine O’Donnell, Kelley Wilson Robinson and Veronika Stoykova.

Oberest Jr. plays a small-time gangster named Richard who is about ready to call time on his criminal career. Not before one last job though. Alongside his daughter, Mouse (O’Donnell) and the cruel and crude Percy (Hodder), they are tasked with a simple robbery.

Who are they robbing? Just a mild-mannered small-town teacher named Melvin (Rucker) who is excited to have the local kids check out his ‘Museum of the Macabre’ on Halloween night. He’s particularly excited to show off his latest acquisition – the remains of Masquerade, a supposed centuries old vampire.

His wife, Louisie (Quigley) and adult step-daughter, Caroline (Robinson) are less than impressed by his latest purchase. The former believes it to be fake when she removes the stake from the remains and see it’s just an ordinary table leg.

A big mistake as the vampire is resurrected and attacks the family. Right about when Richard, Mouse and Percy arrive to rob them. As night falls on Halloween night, the two sides will have to team up to survive and defeat the vampire.

Congratulations is in order for every single person involved in The Good Things Devils Do as they have crafted an excellent horror movie. One with a super-strong cast, a tight and well-told story, characters that are all really likeable and a ton of graphic gore. If you’re looking for a new flick to watch this Halloween, watch this.

Now, these days when you see names like Linnea Quigley, Kane Hodder and Bill Oberst Jr, it’s not always cause for celebration. Big horror icons, they’re normally relegated to just a couple of lines and then killed off or gone as quickly as they appeared. Few put the effort in these days, yet here they are given so much to work with and they give it their all.

This might be one of Bill Oberst Jr’s best roles to date and he turns a basic relationship with his daughter into something with some serious heart. Kane Hodder is an absolute git here with one of the best lines in the movie and Linnea Quigley as a quiet and unassuming house-wife is adorable! They are all brilliant but while they are the names that jump out at you, it would be unfair to not mention just how good of a job David Rucker III, Mary Katherine O’Donnell and Kelley Wilson Robinson do too. Even before we mention Veronika Stoykova who plays the vampire.

The cast is excellent and while the movie doesn’t have a ton of time to really develop their characters too much, what we do get, works. You’ll care about their plight and be cheering them on (except Percy who is just a bad dude) all the way through.

If all of that wasn’t enough, the film is shot so well, and the different coloured lighting really heightens the mood. It’s not a scary film, not at all but it is a grim film and unafraid to push the limits. Nowhere is that more apparent then with the eye-watering blood and guts, of which there is bucket loads. All practical effects too!

It’s a wild ride of a movie. Once it really kicks in, it doesn’t stop, and you’ll be left breathless by the end.