Back From Hell

"I gotta message for ya. Tell Satan I said... KISS MY BLACK ASS!"

Back From Hell is the directorial debut Matt Jaissle (The Necro Files, Legion of the Night). The plot follows Jack, who has sold his soul to Lucifer in order to gain fame and launch his acting career. Unfortunately for him he didn't have the guts to complete the sacrifice when the time came. Now he is up for the fight of his life against Satan's hellish ninjas and demons. Along for the journey is his old friend turned priest, Father Aaron, who reluctantly decides to help Jack fight evil after shedding blood to save him.

This film is filled with great gags and dialogue. The bit with the demonic hand latching onto Aaron's face from the Bible is a personal favorite. The very drawn out scene of dialogue between our heroes and the possessed man they tie up is also made great due to some facial expressions the actor makes. The acting in Back From Hell is a bit wooden from most of the cast. This isn't too big of a fault for the film because the leads do a decent enough job and after awhile it's no longer that noticeable. The two leads become likable after we get to know them a bit more as the film moves along. It's especially rewarding to see Father Aaron's character go from being a very reserved priest to a limp having, shotgun bearing badass before all is said and done.

Although this film is extremely low budget it possesses a lot of charm. The biggest standout while watching is seeing the kind of atmosphere Jaissle managed to create with such little resources. The score (which basically consists of one song) is extremely effective in setting this hellish, almost apocalyptic tone. Drawn out shots also do their fair share creating suspense. The noose scene is a perfect example of this tension building technique working at its finest.

Overall fans of low budget horror should have a good time with this one. The film gives you ninjas, demons, and zombies. What more could a horror fan ask for? The film hits the throwback feel of classic religious based horror perfectly. Many people see this movie in a "so bad it's good" way but I genuinely think this film is awesome. It's well made and it is very clear when watching what Jaissle was going for. We get a fair share of blood splatter and an endless supply of fun with this one. Fans of B-Movies and that classic Drive-In feeling should give Back From Hell a shot.