The Demons (2015) User Reviews

A disturbing and erotic look at childhood sexuality

[MOscarbradley · 8/10 · 16 February 2017]

Not a great deal happens, (unless you count child abuse and suicide), in this languid tale of childhood and adolescent sexuality yet there is something deeply disturbing and unpleasantly erotic in the way first-time feature director Philippe Lesage handles the material. The central character is Felix, a young boy trying to come to terms with his own sexual feelings and his unrequited 'love' for the much older Rebecca. As he does so he finds sex of one kind or another all around him.

It is a difficult role and Edouard Tremblay-Grenier plays him beautifully. Apart from a teacher and a couple of parents adults are mostly absent and Lesage draws very fine performances from his young cast and shoots it superbly. often in long takes and on wide screen. Ultimately this isn't just a work of great promise but a highly sensitive and intelligent look at adolescence.

Beautiful, haunting, powerful, subtle, stylish, uneasy, scary..

[rlaine · 9/10 · 25 January 2017]

Watched this on mubi, a great movie. I wonder why this hasn't attracted more audience with just a few hundred votes and one review prior mine. The movie does have a child abuse sub plot, which may have scared distributors, but it's no reason to avoid this very well made drama with a some horror elements to it.

This coming of age story follows a 10 year old boy with a backstory about a child kidnapper/killer in the city. The boy is being confused and scared about a lot of stuff. Overhearing adult conversations, TV, older brother and his friends. Uncertainty of own sexual feelings, crush on a teacher etc..

What first struck me is how stylish this movie is. It's direction and cinematography are stunning. Poetic, slow, long takes. Strong use of music and sound (as a Finn I was pleasantly surprised by the use Jean Sibelius and Finlandia Op. 26, which opens the movie). Everything to the smallest detail seems to have been thought of, well framed shots, great color grading and interesting use of color through out the movie.

Quite dream like in it's slowness, one could argue whether the things we see on screen are actual events or the boys imagination. There's more evidence to support that the events are really taking place, but there is a bit of David Lynch factor involved, not much, but the movie is open for different interpretations. In a way the movie reminds me also of works by Philip Ridley (Reflecting Skin, Passion of Darkly Noon).

Altho not making a huge point of it, the movie seems to be set somewhere in the early 80s. The director must have some connection to Scandinavia, considering the use of Sibelius and I'm quite sure I saw the boy having an 80s iconic Swedish Fjällraven backpack, I had one just like it back then.

The movie is very strong on atmosphere, creating a warm sun scorched world, yet filled with threats. A strong contrast.

Recommended, it's a dream like poetic experience even if quite distressing and difficult to watch at times.

"Borefest" with no real payout in the end...

[bayareamike · 5/10 · 27 April 2021]

I'll give the film this.... it does a great job at the old saying "it's boring, but in 10 minutes it'll pickup". Seeing it's 120 minutes long, I said that to myself 11 times. Well in the end, it never did pickup.

The cinematography and direction were great. It didn't feel like a low budget film. The plot was creepy and uncomfortable. But in general there was a lot of filler. Slow long zooms in and out. Lots of empty conversations & excessively long scenes.

Astonishing

[srstolz · 10/10 · 28 January 2016]

An adult coming-of-age film from Quebec, The Demons is a stunning debut from documentarian Lesage.

The ironically-named Felix is growing up, by which we really mean that he realises that while his world's parameters are stable, the life teeming inside it is anything but.

Going from lacerating irony and tenderness to sheer horror and pathos, the film is subtly paced, with the documentarian's detached eye in delicate counterpoint to the emotional turbulence Felix experiences. Lesage's music is remarkable, almost Lynchian in its suggestiveness and occasional weirdness. Lesage knows how to take his time, the scenes unfolding slowly into often unbearable tension that never resolves into anything predictable.

Like The Dangerous Lives of Altarboys, Lesage's film knows that to go deep, you have to go big. And he does.

Could be better without dragging script!

[aoki_ra · 5/10 · 15 March 2019]

The plot is okay - interesting, in fact. The script though, unnecessarily stretched.

The plot is not for family viewing

[SoverniX · 9/10 · 23 August 2021]

I watched it in the original voice acting. Of course, not everything was clear, but in general, the plot attracts and makes you think at least about why this happens.

Artist at work

[busdog · 10/10 · 28 December 2021]

If this movie is any indication of what's coming in the future, we may have a world-class filmmaker at work. This is sophisticated, artful filmmaking, with a completely unexpected soundtrack. It's not for people who want action or superheros but who appreciate when things are done differently, creatively and artfully.