{"id":6606,"date":"2019-04-23T23:18:15","date_gmt":"2019-04-23T23:18:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog-proxy.atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/?p=6606"},"modified":"2019-05-08T10:39:41","modified_gmt":"2019-05-08T17:39:41","slug":"i-trapped-the-devil-three-reasons-to-see-it-in-theaters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/i-trapped-the-devil-three-reasons-to-see-it-in-theaters\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;I Trapped The Devil&#8217; &#8211; Three Reasons To See It In Theaters"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">New kid on the butcher\u2019s block Josh Lobo makes his feature debut as a wearer of many hats: writer, editor, and director of the\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Twilight Zone\u00a0<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">adjacent<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">m<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">indf&amp;@k\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I Trapped The Devil<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">. I specifically make the\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Twilight Zone<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0comparison versus\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Black Mirror<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0because as faithful New Year\u2019s marathon watchers of Rod\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Serling<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u2019s\u00a0classic sci-fi anthology will remark,\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.atomtickets.com\/movies\/i-trapped-the-devil\/287580\"><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I Trapped The Devil<\/span><\/i><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0is a meatier, expanded rendition of \u201cThe Howling Man.\u201d Whether intended or not, Lobo exploits unknown and fantastical evil forces under the colorful twinkle of Christmas horror lighting. In a matter of words: completely this critic\u2019s jam.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Steve (Scott Poythress) believes he\u2019s trapped the Devil in his basement. Brother Matt (AJ Bowen) and wife Karen (Susan Burke) are not aware of such circumstance when they arrive at Steve\u2019s home for a Christmas visit. Decorations glisten a frosty sparkle, but Steve\u2019s anxious ranting and Matt\u2019s growing concern over his brother\u2019s mental health override holiday cheer. Whether it\u2019s the devil or a human hostage, <em>something<\/em> is in Steve\u2019s basement. Whether or not Matt opens the door to find out who\u2019s speaking from the other side is a whole different story.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1080\" height=\"608\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Jae48OiyIyY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">IFC Midnight is releasing\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I Trapped The Devil<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0in limited theaters on April 26th, so keep your eyes peeled for availability. Until then, dig into these three reasons why you should check out Mr. Lobo\u2019s sugar-plum-paranoid debut.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span data-contrast=\"auto\">1. There Is No Hand-Holding Of The Audience<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">What Lobo asks of his audience is to plant themselves within an unexplainable scenario, and to do so with four-walled immersion. There will be some of you who ask aloud, \u201cBut HOW did Steve trap Lucifer?\u201d Typically the devil (hah) is in the details, but here it\u2019s in a lack of spoon-feeding that\u2019s unnecessary given Lobo\u2019s intent. We are Matt and Karen, thrust into either a criminal kidnapping that could land them all in jail, or &#8211; even worse &#8211; if Steve is telling no fibs, Satan sits contained in a basement closet with only some padlocks and a wooden cross keeping Hell\u2019s ruler at bay. Does it all seem too\u00a0farfetched\u00a0and dizzying to comprehend? Of course! That\u2019s what amplifies the madness of\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I Trapped The Devil<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Everyone craves personalized brands of horror, and those who benefit from swirling into a satanic video vortex of tree ornaments and fits of inexplicable mania without structured blueprints will drink up Lobo\u2019s toxic seasonal cocktail. By knowing so little, we\u2019re effectively bum rushed by statements more perplexing than enlightening. As Steve permits Matt entrance into a lunatic\u2019s attic covered by missing child posters, tacks, and strings connecting a web of \u201cpatterns,\u201d we see every conspiracy theory without context. It all sounds so crazy, but ambiguity doesn\u2019t allow for an easily\u00a0challengeable\u00a0retort. Lobo doesn\u2019t show us an alternative, which leaves perception and understanding to question with an open-ended concept. In my eyes, only ever to the film\u2019s benefit.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span data-contrast=\"auto\">2. A Fantastic Addition To The Christmas Horror Subgenre<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The words \u201cfeature debut\u201d are synonymous with visions of lesser-quality in some viewers\u2019 minds, but let me assure you,\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I Trapped The Devil<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0is markedly polished by filmmaking merits. From Lobo\u2019s jack-of-all-trades creativity to\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Bryce Holden\u2019s looming cinematography to Ben Lovett\u2019s homely but upsetting score, this is a film that engages audiences on deeper levels than visual representation. I\u2019m an absolute sucker for Christmas horror, and Lobo\u2019s production design wastes not the festive hallmarks of strung-up multicolored mini-lights and heavy, saturating red filters. Steve\u2019s home is a quaint slice of Americana that\u2019d represent most any rural suburbia household, but Lobo trades peace on Earth for Hell on Earth with such unassuming ease thanks in large part to the overall team\u2019s steady hands. Horror without jump scares, banging at your doorstep with a heavy thud.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">While it\u2019s true that conversational interrogations primarily conjure intensity between Matt, Karen, Steve, and whenever \u201cThe Devil\u201d (voiced by Chris Sullivan) gets to attempt a few pleas for release,\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I Trapped The Devil<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0sparingly grants spurts of genre weirdness.\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Jocelin Donahue plays a woman who\u2019s trapped behind VHS tracking fuzz on television screens, blood gushes from a stuffed animal, Steve wavers in and out of psychosis as depicted by an alternate blackened world &#8211;\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I Trapped The Devil<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0might be a character piece, but Lobo feeds the fires of intrigue by maximizing genre additives. Holden\u2019s frame slowly pans in on Steve\u2019s locked basement door or whatever new oddness appears, Lovett\u2019s score pricking at our nerves like plucked instrument strings.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span data-contrast=\"auto\">3. Scott Poythress Is A New Face Of Horror As Steve<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">AJ Bowen and Jocelin Donahue might be more recognizable indie horror names, and Chris Sullivan\u2019s become a household commodity thanks to\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">This Is Us<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0(<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0as well), but\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I Trapped The Devil<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0is Scott Poythress\u2019 showcase. A reclusive nutjob who\u2019s blocked his windows with newspaper, estranged from family, babbling on about how he\u2019s locked Satan away for good. Poythress plays Steve with such a straight face, never fully committing to the loony bin so he can tease viewers with the possibility of his tall tales being proven right. Steve\u2019s eyes apprehensively dart as Matt attempts to understand what\u2019s wrong with his brother, all the while Poythress is succumbing to his character\u2019s delusion with a transformative performance that encourages speculation.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">There\u2019s more to the action than Steve\u2019s raves about how he\u2019s saving humanity from even 1% of worldwide atrocities instigated by El Diablo. Poythress\u2019 on-edge routine keeps a healthy uneasiness pulsating through scenes involving a loaded handgun, distorted visions, otherworldly standoffs and more. As a character piece,\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I Trapped The Devil<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0allows Poythress to bathe in self-righteousness and martyrdom on a level that &#8211; in his mind &#8211; cannot be understood by non-believers. In reality, he sounds like a street corner doomsday prophet &#8211; but Poythress<em> owns<\/em> Steve\u2019s teetering-on-the-brink alarmist. Bowen and Burke are pawns used to provoke Poythress\u2019 absurdist breakdown, the same as Sullivan\u2019s muttered lines from behind his sealed gate. If you\u2019re going to get \u201ctrapped\u201d watching a Christmas horror ode to family dysfunction with a devilish twist, it helps to have a performance as accomplished as Poythress\u2019 deliriously disturbed fraying of sanity. Ho-ho-horrors that&#8217;ll stuff the stockings of pressure-cooker genre fans in your life!<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>New kid on the butcher\u2019s block Josh Lobo makes his feature debut as a wearer of many hats: writer, editor, and director of the\u00a0Twilight Zone\u00a0adjacent\u00a0mindf&amp;@k\u00a0I Trapped The Devil. I specifically make the\u00a0Twilight Zone\u00a0comparison versus\u00a0Black Mirror\u00a0because as faithful New Year\u2019s marathon watchers of Rod\u00a0Serling\u2019s\u00a0classic sci-fi anthology will remark,\u00a0I Trapped The Devil\u00a0is a meatier, expanded rendition of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":6610,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[58,52],"tags":[40,37],"class_list":["post-6606","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-horror","category-review","tag-featuredpage","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6606","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6606"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6606\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6612,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6606\/revisions\/6612"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6610"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6606"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6606"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6606"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}