Movie Review: Mask of the Devil (2022)

Mask of the Devil is a horror/comedy written by Matthew Davies and Richard Rowntree and also directed by Rowntree. It starts off with a group of mercenaries in Africa attempting to steal a tribal mask in 1878 that is cursed with an ancient evil, and somehow it makes its way to a store to be used as a prop for a small porno company in the present day. The ancient evil, of course, eventually starts running amok and killing everyone.

What we liked:

• There were a lot of times when we were impressed by the cinematography. These moments were spread out here and there, but you could tell when extra effort went into getting a good shot.
• There was a decent amount of gore in this film.
• Some of the kills were inventive and fun and were shot really well.
• There were some awesome special effects, both digital, and practical.
• The beginning of the film showing the African tribe and the origin of the mask was great.

What we thought could have been better:

• The mask itself, when on screen, was great, but it was overshadowed a bit by the porno-comedy. It would have been nice if the mask was put to more use earlier in the film, and the focus was more on the horror.

Overall, Mask of the Devil comes off like they added horror into a lower-budget Orgazmo or something. It has its moments, and we can appreciate what they were going for, but at the same time wish there was more room for the horror to shine. There is definitely some artistic vision mixed in here and there, though, and we think if they were to go 70/30 horror instead of vice versa, they could come up with a pretty solid horror product on the next one.

Check out the trailer below, and check out Mask of the Devil at Cyprus Horror Film Festival in early September, other film festivals to follow, and then keep an eye out for them on Twitter to find out where to catch it when it releases!