Messiah of Evil

On Halloween, we’re briefly transforming Freaky Friday into Freaky Saturday with screenings of two zombie films: George A. Romero’s horror classic NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD and the surreal cult favourite MESSIAH OF EVIL.

MESSIAH OF EVIL opens as follows: a young woman, Arletty Lang, travels to the remote coastal village of Point Dume to search for her missing father. There, she soon discovers that something sinister is afoot. Mysterious figures and prophecies point to the only logical explanation in films of this sort: the entire population is under the influence of a cult! The horde of flesh-eating zombies that follows is the icing on the cake.

Just like NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, was made on a very limited budget. Friends and family of the directing duo were involved, including director Walter Hill (THE WARRIORS, STREETS OF FIRE). The film grossed very little and disappeared from cinemas almost immediately. It was only later that a critical re-evaluation took place, in which the film was rightly praised for its elliptical plot and dreamlike atmosphere.

Nevertheless, MESSIAH OF EVIL is a misunderstood, underrated film that manages to create an atmosphere all of its own. Fans of H.P. Lovecraft, Gothic horror and, of course, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD will find more than enough here to enjoy!