The Lowdown: The Lords of Salem is a slow-burning and deeply disturbing experience. It avoids clichés and instead hearkens back to a time when horror was both unsettling and captivating at the same time. Atmospheric and foreboding, it is arguably Rob Zombie’s best film to date.
1. The Plot:Heidi Hawthorne (Sheri Moon Zombie) is part of a radio DJ trio in Salem, Massachusetts. One day, a record is anonymously sent to her. The record is sent by “The Lords”, and they are dubbed “The Lords of Salem” by the DJs. Thinking that it is a sample for the radio station, Heidi plays the record on the radio station, but the music is unlike anything anyone has ever heard. It is ominous and ritualistic. Heidi immediately begins experiencing massive headaches and fatigue, and later begins having deeply disturbing dreams, most of which seem to involve a mysterious tenant in her apartment building. This ultimately causes her to resume her drug habit to calm herself down. Meanwhile, Francis Matthias (Bruce Davison), a writer about the Salem Witch Trials, tries to solve the mystery surrounding “The Lords of Salem”.
Don't invite them in.
2. The Characters: Rob Zombie’s wife, Sheri Moon Zombie (The Devil’s Rejects, Halloween, Halloween II) is Heidi Hawthorne, a peppy radio DJ who eventually has to struggle to prevent herself from falling prey to the evil forces of the witches of Salem. Naturally, she has been in most of Rob Zombie’s films, but her performances have wavered all over the place, ranging from decent in The Devil’s Rejects (2005) and Halloween (2007), to dismal in Halloween II (2009). Fortunately, she gives her best performance in The Lords of Salem. She is convincingly lively and chirpy as a radio DJ, and moody and sullen when being tortured by her demented dreams. Supporting characters include Bruce Davison (X-Men) as Francis Matthias, a writer who tries to unravel the mystery surrounding The Lords of Salem and the strange record. Jeffrey Daniel Phillips (Faster) is Herman, one of Heidi’s co-DJs who has a soft spot for Heidi and is always trying to extend a helping hand. Judy Geeson (Gilmore Girls) is Lacy, Heidi’s landlady, who may not be as kind and matronly as she seems on the surface. Meg Foster (They Live) is Margaret Morgan, a crazy witch who was burned at the stake in the 17thcentury. Let me say that she nails the part, and is absolutely frightening.3. Horror As It Should Be: The Lords of Salem is so different from pretty much every wide-release modern horror film from the past few years. This is not a cliché-ridden, dime-a-dozen horror flick. To sum it up, it is as if Rob Zombie was trying to craft a modern, art-house horror film. From the very first second of the film to the very last, there is an incredible amount of attention paid to the film’s bleak atmosphere and unsettling imagery. No shots in the film are wasted. Every scene in the film is disturbing to some degree, whether Zombie is using gritty music to set the tone, inserting creepy religious imagery into the scene, or using creative lighting to show something sinister lurking down the hallway. Surprisingly, Rob Zombie’s work here is something to be appreciated. The Lords of Salem was clearly made by someone with an intimate knowledge of his craft.
However, the film isn’t simply well-made. A film can be “well-made”, but still be a terrible film; a large budget and many famous people working on it doesn’t always equal quality. The Lords of Salem is well-made both on a technical level and on a psychological level. What I mean is that everything in the film works to reinforce the grim tone and foreboding atmosphere, as well as to twist the viewer’s expectations. Eventually, it becomes unsure as to whether there really are witches possessing Heidi, or if it is all in her imagination. Once the doubt and the fear set in, the unsettling aura of the film reaches a high point, and it is at that point where one can see just how dangerous and spellbinding The Lords of Salemtruly is.
The Bottom Line: The Lords of Salem isn’t what horror audiences are used to seeing anymore, and that’s precisely why it is such a good horror film. There are no cheap thrills to be found here. The Lords of Salem is a slow-burner all the way through, but while it is unsettling, it is also surprisingly engrossing. There is something to be appreciated in every shot; film geeks (like myself) and general horror fans should all find something to enjoy. Rob Zombie has finally made his best film. The Lords of Salemcomes highly recommended.
The Lords of Salem is property of Alliance Films, Automatik Entertainment, and Blumhouse Productions. This review was written by me.
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