Reviewed by Alicia Glass

Studio: Burgundy Films

MPAA Rating: R

Director: Phedon Papamichael

Review Rating: 7

A small strongly Christian American town begins experiencing a string of apparent occult related suicides.

I actually really enjoyed this particular Horrorfest film. Sure, the basic simple plot has been done and redone. From Within adds new twists, straightforward scares, and an ending that even I didn’t see coming. And it brings up a lot of interesting questions, not even necessarily ones that deal with religion. Such as, is it permissible to let an innocent (innocent of this particular crime at least) person take the wrap for a murder you committed, just to keep your reputation intact? Not that I would condone vengeance on a town-wide scale per se, but I find myself sympathizing rather strongly with the supposedly evil characters of this movie.

Thomas Dekker, of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles fame, stars as Aidan, son of the witch. (Bet you thought I was going to write something other than witch, too.) Dekker brings across a very tormented and determined character, someone quite goth and melancholy, just as he does in Terminator, and does it quite well too. Elizabeth Rice stars as Lindsay, trembling female lead. And while she does a more or less fine job, I think I would have preferred someone with a little less pink in their cheeks.

The movie doesn’t rely on a whole bunch of gore, buckets of fake blood, or scary music for shock value. Rather, the more Asian styled way of white contacts and your own reflection getting you from a mirror, is more the style, and the way I much prefer.

Finally, Horrorfest gives us plot and shock all wrapped up in a shrieking good time!