When it comes to demons escaping hell to lay siege to your family’s bloodline, it never rains- it pours. Very rarely is it ever a fair fight when it comes to battling the forces of darkness but no one is more prepared than the aged exorcist in Fabian Forte’s Legions. As funny as it is frightening, Legions features a boat load of Beelzebub’s baddies and a cast of comical characters as the last line of defense against unstoppable demonic creatures.
Written and directed by Forte, Legions is an epic battle between good and evil that spans generations. After being personally cursed by a demon during an exorcism, a young man’s life is turned upside down as demons wage a psychological war against him and his young family. A lifetime later, Antonio Poyju (Germán De Silva) is confined to an insane asylum and treated like a kook. His daughter Helena (Lorena Vega) has abandoned her faith and her family’s legacy as the region’s most powerful spiritual warriors.
“Legions features a boat load of Beelzebub’s baddies and a kooky cast of comical characters…”
After receiving a distressing warning that Helena‘s soul is in grave danger, Antonio launches a daring escape from his facility and prepares for battle. Arm wrestling demons is light work for a legend like Antonio but convincing Helena is a whole thing. She’s bought into the dreary existence of modern metropolitan living, pouring herself into advancing her career and building a “normal” life with her partner. She keeps her magical abilities tucked away deep inside like a bad memory but Helena can’t deny a dark unsettling feeling that washes over her from time to time. Oh and the dark visions of death and hellfire and stuff. Those definitely seem to be signaling something evil on the horizon.
Germán De Silva’s Antonio is a comical badass. He busts guts and battles demons in equal measure like a mystical action hero that’s been brought out of retirement for one last job. Inside the asylum, everyone views him as some silly old man with a knack for telling a good story but in reality, he’s a real-life John Constantine. He’s spent a lifetime pissing off the Devil’s most powerful goons and Legions does not skimp when it comes to it’s big bads. It’s a straight-up demon deluge in the finale, jam-packed with prosthetics, demonic voices, and blood.
“…a straight-up demon deluge […] jam-packed with prosthetics, demonic voices, and blood.”
Legions does an incredible job of building momentum, even if it sometimes loses a little steam for dramatic beats. There’s a bit of a flip-floppy nature to the back half of the movie but that’s also where all the monster stuff is so my brain was probably just being a hungry, hungry hippo for those soul-sucking bad boys. And not enough good can be said about the rag-tag band of goofy misfits that come together to help Antonio and Helena fight off the satanic horde come for them both. As funny as it is freaky, Legions is one helluva good time that’s as much The Evil Dead as it is One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest.
Fabian Forte’s Legions celebrated its North American premiere at the 2022 Fantasia Film Festival. Click HERE to follow our continued coverage of the festival and let us know if you’re excited to see this new demon flick over on Twitter, Reddit, Facebook, and in the official Nightmare on Film Street Discord. Heck, follow Nightmare on Film Street on TikTok for more horror movie recommendations while you’re at it.
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