Review: Messiah of Evil (1973)

Directed by: Willard Huyck, Gloria Katz
Starring: Marianna Hill, Michael Greer, Anitra Ford
Written by: Willard Huyck, Gloria Katz
Music by: Phillan Bishop
Country: United States
Available on: Blu-ray (Code Red)
IMDb

It’s hard to believe that this Eurohorror-flavored film was made by a couple of Americans (and the same writing/directing team that would go on to bring Howard the Duck to the big screen in 1986!). Everything about this film screams “'70s FRENCH HORROR!,” from the funky and at-times abrasive music to the psychedelic visuals to the somewhat impenetrable story, and it’s especially surprising since the movie is actually a contemporary of other influential Euro horror from the likes of Jean Rollin and Jess Franco. Messiah of Evil also takes influence from Night of the Living Dead (1968) and the works of H.P. Lovecraft, particularly its mysterious seaside location, Pointe Dune. Arletty comes to Pointe Dune in search of her father, who had been sending her increasingly cryptic letters about a “dark stranger” and esoteric oceanic rituals, and seems to have disappeared. In her search, she comes across a plethora of strange characters that all seem to be part of something arcane. The first thing that hits you about this movie is its stifling and unnerving atmosphere. Everyone in Pointe Dune seems removed from reality, and unnaturally hungry for raw meat. The ocean leaves the town persistently misty and wind-whipped. When your ears aren’t being stung by Phillan Bishop’s disquieting music, they’re being prickled by the constant hoarse whisper of the ominous sea breeze. This movie does pretty amazing things with its sound design. There are a lot of lingering shots that allow the audience’s eyes to pan, sometimes fruitlessly, for anything out of place. This is one of those flicks that accomplishes way more by doing nothing. There are only a few bursts of violence and mayhem, and they’re so effectively teed up by the frequent quiet unease. Perhaps Messiah of Evil could have more moments of adrenaline, or definitively revealed its “dark stranger,” but in the Lovecraft tradition, the sinister unknown remains unknowable. There is a brief flashback sequence explaining the origin of the “dark stranger” that feels really out of place, but that’s about the only misstep in what’s really a fantastically moody gem.

Overall rating: 9 out of 10