When we think of evil among us and the things it may have caused in the process, we usually think of wars and those behind it. In some cases, it may be a leader that is crushing his people. There are countless events in history when truly evil men and women committed countless atrocities for a variety of reasons. Usually history looks back on those events harsher once the total damage can be assessed. But what if those that are truly twisted and deranged were also in charge of, say, manufacturing pharmaceuticals? What kind of damage could be caused then? This is the background behind Behemoth.
We have seen Al Pacino play Satan trying to manipulate Keanu Reeves to help bring about the end of the world, ultimately losing to man's free will, in Devil’s Advocate, an excellent film in its own rights, with Pacino playing a high-priced New York lawyer. There are musical references like “Sympathy for the Devil” by the Rolling Stones and later covered by Guns N’ Roses which appears on the soundtrack of Interview with the Vampire, “Pleased to meet you, hope you guessed my name”, making references to the devil holding a general’s rank during World War 2 and other historical references. From a more terrifying and historic standpoint, you could add Elizabeth Bathory to the list of evil among humankind. She bathed in the blood of teenage virgins to stay young. Again, what if someone was like this but in big business and industry?
Behemoth takes place in modern times with Joshua Riverton on a job and getting chased by some demonic goat. His story is that his daughter has been poisoned by some unknown chemical that is polluting the environment. Joshua also happens to be the whistle blower that caused the company he worked for to lose billions in settlements when he let the information out. As retaliation they publicly make him out to be a mentally troubled individual. What ends up being an act of desperation to save his daughter, leads to Joshua and friends kidnapping a high-ranking individual from the De Pointe company.
Sure, this sounds simple for a concept but now Joshua has to deal with the bodyguard. Something just doesn’t seem right about him. He seems to be an almost unstoppable force. As if this weren’t enough, Joshua and crew start experiencing and seeing strange things happening. From swirling designs and patterns on the carpet to full blown monster attacks, something just isn’t right. Top it off with some blood and gore and a few scenes that may remind you of Silent Hill, and you’re in for a fun ride.
The only real downside from the whole experience is that some of the dialog is a bit cheesy and poorly written. It sounded, at times, like a beginner wrote some of the conversations and interactions. However, the b-movie quality of Behemoth plays to its advantage making those same interactions feel perfectly at home. So, it isn’t distracting or a letdown, but it may bother some more than others.
What we ended up with is a pretty fun movie. Sure, there was some cheese to it but overall, it is an enjoyable experience. It isn’t going to win any Oscars but it’s extremely fun. Cool monster designs and some over the top effects and horror, really make it quite entertaining. What little I could criticize about the movie, fits in it perfectly because it doesn’t come across like a Hollywood masterpiece and instead embraces its horror origins with an excellent outcome.
Rorschach Rating:
Mental Health Moment: When loved ones are sick it can lead to various stresses and anxieties. In Behemoth, Joshua is dealing with his daughter being extremely ill and hospitalized. Ultimately he turns to his friends for support on what turns out to be some crazy scheme. In reality friends can be the support system you need to deal with those troubling times and get through what is going on. That could also be what you need to show the strength that the loved one may need to see.
If you or someone you know is reading this right now and struggling with suicide, depression, addiction, or self-harm - please reach out. Comment, message, or tweet at us. Go to victimsandvillains.net/hope for more resources. Call the suicide lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Text "HELP" to 741-741. There is hope & you DO have so much value and worth!
Victims and Villains is written (and produced) by Josh "Captain Nostalgia" Burkey and others, and edited by Cam Smith. Music by Mallory Johnson and others. Behemoth is property of Level 33 Entertainment. We do not own nor claim any rights.
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