- Directors: John Adams, Zelda Adams, Toby Poser
- Writers: John Adams, Zelda Adams, Toby Poser
- Stars: John Adams, Zelda Adams, Toby Poser, Sam Rodd
Review
The Adams Family made a splash in indie horror with their 2021 release Hellbender. A true family affair, Toby Poser, John Adams and Zelda Adams have written, directed, starred and, well, a million other things in the credits on their latest film. Once again writing music for the film with their band H6LLB6ND6R, this latest entry solidifies the Adams Family signature style: minimal goth chic.
Celebrating its world premiere at Fantasia Fest 2023, Where the Devil Roams takes place in Depression Era America and the overwhelming feeling of poverty and despair is a constant presence in the film while the gorgeous, maudlin color palette juxtaposed with H6LLB6ND6R’s original music all comes together to create a very specific mood that, at this point, can only be described as “very Adams family”. Following a family of carnival workers, Seven, Maggie and Eve, we will join them on a truly macabre revenge tour where anyone who places financial prosperity above human prosperity shall be punished.
Utilizing the narrative of working on a traveling carnival circuit, this proves a clever and colorful way to illustrate the ways in which people who are “other” are marginalized and left to fend for themselves. While it’s fine to use these people as entertainment, it’s a bridge too far to actually allow them to stay financially afloat, but it is within this dysfunctional society that a peculiar bond and loyalty is formed, and this will prove helpful later.
Maggie, Seven and Eve are a close-knit family unit who keep to themselves within the carnie community. Eve is mostly mute with the exception of when she sings during their nightly performance. Unfortunately for them, it’s Mr. Tibbs who commands the biggest crowd because he has a truly unique trick: with the help of some very black magic, he can cut off his fingers and they magically come back by the next show. One evening, Eve learns how he does this and while, at the time, it seems like a dark and fun tale, this will come into play later on in the film and, of course, have disastrous consequences.
Heading out on their own personal revenge tour led by Maggie, these three are the embodiment of peas in a pod. Maggie’s personality is sweet, but deadly: anyone who gets in the way of this family’s happiness will see what happens when a dark cloud comes over her. Toby Poser plays Maggie with an “ah-shucks”, backwoods mentality that pairs nicely with her high pitched, just this side of ignorant speaking style. Initially, Poser’s tone of voice was distractingly different from her character in Hellbender, but as we settle into the family dynamics and are reminded of her childhood, her girly voice makes sense and is oddly discomfiting. Her husband, Seven (John Adams), suffers from PTSD brought on by the war. This proves an amusing trait when Maggie and Eve really settle into their murderous ways. As they criss-cross the country, killing people, Maggie not only seems to delight in killing, but also views it as her matriarchal duty. Concurrently, Eve takes artistic photos of the bodies while Seven is happily blindfolded and kept safe from violence. The fact that the actors are all related makes it questionable if the acting is really that good or if everyone, including the viewer, is simply benefiting from the easiness that they have with one another. Ultimately, I suppose it doesn’t really matter because this is an Adams Family joint and you’re either in or you’re out.
There is a lot of talk about God and religion and the different kinds of people who follow Christianity. And, of course, the poem with the line, “While the body rots to dust and bones, there’s a tear in the heart where the devil roams,” plays a significant part in the storytelling. As seems to be their style, the Adams have a lot to say, but use as little dialogue as possible, rather relying on facial expressions, music and the gorgeous cinematography to get their point across. At times, the film feels a bit like a very serious 90’s music video, and that’s either a positive or a negative depending on the viewer, but overall, indulging in this family’s particular brand of horror is a nice retreat that feels cozy and welcoming, albeit a tad bit menacing.
Played at The Fantasia International Film Festival 2023.
Lisa Fremont
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