Pills, porno, Pokemon cards – THE THREE P’s! Mysterious Ways reminds us there’s more to faith than avoiding these sins of the flesh in director Tyler Eaton’s comedic and demonic feature debut. Anchored by strong performances and an equally strong message, the film asks viewers to place faith in each other above all, even if one of us is a devoted Bigfoot truther.
Mysterious Ways follows religious siblings Denise (Alyssa Sabo) and her brother Charlie (Brandon Raman) as they attempt to pick up the pieces of their congregation after their parents’ deaths. Children of a pastor, the duo find themselves embarking on much different paths. Denise desperately clings to the church, immersing herself in everything from worship group sleepovers to teen graphic novels featuring Christ crusaders fighting Satanists with Uzi’s. On the flip side is Charlie, slowly becoming disillusioned with his life, planning to escape his situation in hopes of becoming a playwright in NYC.
Denise senses Charlie is straying from the good word and decides the best course of action means conjuring a demon to prove their existence. Tricking the faith group member into performing a ritualistic dance, Denise unleashes a demon upon the town, with the goal of gathering 666 souls to summon the antichrist. Leaving their Bigfoot-obsessed roommate Gordon (Dennis Hurley) in charge of the faith group kids, the siblings embark on a humorous escapade to reign in the dancing demon.
“Light on Horror [but] finds its comedic footing with outstanding performances from leads Alyssa Sabo and Brandon Raman.”
Mysterious Ways may be a little light on the horror for a horror comedy, but it really finds its comedic footing with outstanding performances from leads Alyssa Sabo and Brandon Raman. Sabo’s charismatic presence as the upbeat and slightly naive Denise pairs in perfect comedic contrast with Raman‘s grounded, somewhat sarcastic Charlie. Each has their own collection of hilarious bits, whether it be Denise mistaking a cleverly placed pile of clothes as her exclusion from the rapture, or Charlie‘s complete obliviousness of how to handle a flirtatious woman’s advances. Together with Dennis Hurley’s Gordon, whose character’s inspiration most definitely comes from a combination of actor Stephen Root’s turns as Dodgeball‘s Gordon Pibb and Milton from Office Space, the three carry the hefty comedic weight all the way to the credits roll.
A satirical crack at organized religion, Mysterious Ways strives for more than just comedic drive-bys. Buried in a shallow grave is a message of finding faith and humanity in other things while we’re on this spinning rock, whether it be friends, siblings, or even cryptid-obsessed roommates. Religion certainly isn’t for everybody, but faith in something is important, we are told. This parable is further illustrated in that no group is spared the jokes, including a house party hosted by the local atheists (every town has one right?) Director/writer Tyler Eaton makes the important distinction of laughing with his audience, not at it. Avoiding the preachiness that sometimes haunts religious satires is a strength of the film, as is it’s message of acceptance tucked between laughs.
“Avoiding the preachiness that sometimes haunts religious satires is a strength of the film, as is its message of acceptance tucked between laughs.“
It’s not all Jesus and jokes. Though I could’ve used a bit more, Mysterious Ways does provide several moments of that delectable horror humor we all crave so much. I didn’t foresee a man in a movie-quality Bigfoot costume beating a demon’s head to a bloody skull reminiscent of some R-rated cut of Marv‘s electrocution in Home Alone 2, but I’m really happy I got it. If Jack Link’s ever needs a new commercial idea for its “Messing with Sasquatch” campaign, they’ve got one here. A quick cameo via an actress from a beloved 80’s horror sequel was a nice touch as well.
The most crucial element a horror comedy must deliver is humor, and due in no small part to impressively funny performances from its cast, Mysterious Ways delivers indeed. May your faith in it be rewarded.
Tyler Eaton’s Mysterious Ways celebrated its East Coast Premiere at the 2024 Popcorn Frights Festival. And if you find yourself speaking in tongues after seeing this goofy horror comedy, testify all your opinions on the film or all things horror in Nightmare on Film Street’s Discord!
