Pills, porn, Pokemon cards – THE THREE P’s! Mysterious paths reminds us that faith is about more than avoiding these sins of the flesh in director Tyler Eaton’s comedic and demonic film debut. Backed by strong performances and an equally strong message, the film asks viewers to put their faith in one another above all else, even if one of us is a staunch Bigfoot believer.

Mysterious paths follows religious brothers and sisters Denise (Alyssa Sabo) and her brother Charlie (Brandon Raman) try to patch the community back together after the death of their parents. As children of a pastor, the two follow very different paths. Denise clings desperately to the church, immersing himself in everything from sleepovers in worship groups to teen graphic novels in which crusaders fight Satanists with Uzis. On the other hand, Charliebecomes disillusioned with his life and plans to escape his situation in the hope of becoming a playwright in New York.

Denise senses Charlie deviates from the good word and decides that the best course of action is to summon a demon to prove their existence. Making the member of the faith group perform a ritual dance, Denise unleashes a demon on the town with the goal of gathering 666 souls to summon the Antichrist. They leave their Bigfoot-possessed roommate behind Gordon (Dennis Hurley) is responsible for the children of the faith group and the siblings embark on a humorous adventure to tame the dancing demon.

Mysterious paths is perhaps a little too little horror for a horror comedy, but with the outstanding performances of the main actors Alyssa Sabo and Brandon Raman, it really finds its comedic footing. Sabo’s charismatic presence as an optimistic and slightly naive Denise Couple in perfect comedic contrast with Ramanis grounded, somewhat sarcastic Charlie. Everyone has their own collection of hilarious pieces, be it Denise falsely claiming a cleverly placed pile of clothes as their exclusion from the rapture, or Charlie‘s complete ignorance of how to deal with the advances of a flirtatious woman. Together with Dennis Hurley’s Gordonwhose character is surely a combination of the roles of actor Stephen Root as Dodgeballby Gordon Pibb And Milton out of Office spaceThe three carry their comedic brilliance until the end credits.

A satirical swipe at organized religion, Mysterious paths strives for more than just comedic drive-bys. Buried in a shallow grave is the message of finding faith and humanity in other things while we are on this spinning rock, be it friends, siblings, or even cryptid-possessed roommates. Religion is certainly not for everyone, but belief in something is important, we are told. This parable is further illustrated by the fact that no group is spared from jokes, including a house party thrown by the local atheists (every town has one, right?). Director/writer Tyler Eaton makes the important distinction between laughter with his audience, not at es. One of the film’s strengths is that it avoids the moralizing that sometimes accompanies religious satires and that, between the laughs, it conveys a message of acceptance.

It’s not just about Jesus and jokes. Although I could have used a little more, Mysterious paths offers several moments of that delicious horror humor we all crave. I didn’t expect a man in a movie-quality Bigfoot costume to beat a demon’s head into a bloody skull reminiscent of an R-rated version of Marv‘s electric shock in Home Alone 2: Lost in New Yorkbut I’m really glad I got it. If Jack Link’s ever needs a new advertising idea for its “Messing with Sasquatch” campaign, here they have one. A brief cameo by an actress from a popular ’80s horror sequel was also a nice touch.

The most important element of a horror comedy is humor, and this is not least due to the impressively funny performances of the actors. Mysterious paths actually delivers. May your trust in it be rewarded.

Tyler Eaton’s Mysterious paths premiered on the East Coast at the 2024 Popcorn Frights Festival. And if you find yourself speaking in tongues after watching this silly horror comedy, feel free to share your thoughts on the film, or all things horror, in the Nightmare on Film Street Discord!

MYSTERIOUS WAYS review: Dancing demons and witty performances reward your faith in horror comedies #PopcornFrights

In brief

The most important element of a horror comedy is humor, and Mysterious Ways succeeds in that thanks in no small part to the impressively funny performances of its cast. May your faith in the film be rewarded.