Advent – FrightFest Halloween Movie Review
Director: Airell Anthony Hayles
Writer: Airell Anthony Hayles (Screenplay)
Cast
- Mark Arnold (Blade Runner 2049)
- Nicholas Vince (I Am Monsters)
- Cory Peterson (Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom)
- Marina Lazaris (Frank Phoenix)
- Rasina Alexander (Death Race Beyond Anarchy)
- Cian Lorcan
Plot: A girl comes across a cursed advent calendar, and plays a game against the devil in the run up to Christmas.
Runtime: 1 Hour 16 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Advent starts when YouTuber Hayley (Alexander) learns about a cursed Advent calendar. It lets you play a game with the devil in the lead-up to Christmas and along with Charlie (Lorcan) they begin the game. Hayley receives the calendar, and each day presents her with a task which must be completed.
The challenges start simple, and Hayley becomes obsessed with completing the tasks. Meanwhile, Richard Hill (Vince) looks back on the events of Hayley’s videos. As the days roll by, we see the challenges creating changes in Hayley’s life, including her depressed father’s attitude improving.
Verdict on Advent
Advent is a horror thriller following a young woman who decides to investigate an evil connection with an Advent calendar. It requires her to follow a series of tasks which lead her down a disturbing path, as she starts playing a game with the devil.
This movie dives into folklore and how easily it can spread in a modern internet world. It uses the idea that the devil plays silly games to gain control of people and exposes the side effects. This is put together well with Nicholas Vince’s narration for the documentary exploring what happened, bringing a calming presence to the events. There is a lot of creepy happenings, which keeps the movie flowing nicely, as the potentially viral game starts coming to life.
Where to Watch
Advent had its World Premiere at FrightFest Halloween 2024 and arrives on UK digital 25 November (iTunes, Amazon, Google Play)
Final Thoughts –Advent is a creepy, suspenseful horror movie.