The Black Demon Review

3 star toothsome sea based creature feature.

The Black Demon is a 2023 Mexican/American horror/thriller, written by Carlos Cisco (Star Trek: Discovery) and Boise Esquerra and directed by Adrian Grunberg (Rambo: Last Blood, Get the Gringo).

It is available on Digital Platforms in the UK from 19th June 2023 and on DVD and Blu-ray 17th July courtesy of Signature Entertainment.

“For hundreds of years, fishermen have shared tales of a mythical shark off the Baja coast. One of Godlike proportions, driving men to the brink of insanity with visions of death.”

Paul (Josh Lucas – Blood for Dust, Yellowstone) is an oilman, working for the Nixon Oil Company. His latest job is to return to the town in Baja where he met his wife and carried out his first ever rig inspection, the “El Diamante”. This time, he is to inspect it with a view to decommissioning if it fails.

For old times sake, he decides to make it a family vacation, revisit with his wife Ines (Fernanda Urrejola – Cry Macho, Blue Miracle) and show the place where they met to their two children Audrey (Venus Ariel – Exposed) and Tommy (Carlos Solórzano – Flamin’ Hot).

When they arrive it soon becomes apparent that something has gone very wrong. The town is in ruins, graffiti everywhere, shops and hotels closed and gangs hanging around on street corners. They meet El Rey (Raúl Méndez – Sense8, Broken Souls), local hardman who reluctantly shows them to the only bar in town.

Paul is urgently called to the rig which turns out to be in a terrible state, surrounded by oil and only manned by two men, Chato (Julio Cesar Cedillo – Cowboys & Aliens) and Junior (Jorge A. Jimenez –Machete Kills) who tell him everyone else has been killed and the comms are down. Meanwhile, after a run in with the locals, Ines and the kids head for the (so they think) safety of the rig.

What secrets are being kept, what stalks these waters and can they survive?

“Moving right along here on Radio Sardine, with Baja’s best diver, Nacho. He’s not the youngest or the best looking, but he IS the real deal.”

The Black demon is an enjoyable B-movie romp with a suitably gnarly megalodon with ALL the teeth, plenty of gore and random body parts and unusually for the genre, quite a good story to back it all up.

The acting is good and so is the script and there’s lots of action too if that’s what floats your boat. Although there is nothing groundbreaking about it, it’s good natured and sincere and elevated by the family element.

A very entertaining way to spend an evening and well worth adding to your collection.

“Babe, the bell on this thing is made of thick, fine grade steel. I’d like to see that son of a b***h bite down on it. It’ll be fine.”

Signature Entertainment presents The Black Demon on Digital Platforms 19th June and Blu-ray & DVD 17th July