‘Four angels will come to destroy mankind’
Angels Fallen is a 2019 American action-horror film about a team of demon hunters on a mission in deepest Macedonia.
Directed by Ali Zamani (Opus of an Angel; Maul Dogs) from a screenplay written by Amanda Barton (writer of The Amityville Terror; actress in Sorority Party Massacre; Dracula’s Curse; et al), and from the producers of The Ouija Exorcism and The Demonologist,
The movie stars Houston Rhines, Nicola Posener (Mythica: The Necromancer), Michael Teh and Michael Madsen (Megalodon; plus many others).
A sequel, Angels Fallen: Warriors of Peace, will be released in 2023.
Plot:
After the tragic loss of his wife battling the forces of darkness, Gabriel is persuaded to rejoin his former team of demon hunters travelling from relative obscurity in America to the deep unknown regions of Europe.
Gabriel is joined by his estranged best friend Michael (Michael Teh) who harbours a dark secret, the mystical Hannah (Nicola Posener) whose visions predict the future, and a motley crew of demon slayers. After losing part of his team Gabriel must confront his tragic past and decide who really is friend or foe…
Release:
Angels Fallen is released in the USA on DVD and Digital on January 14th 2020 by Uncork’d Entertainment.
Review:
Aah, gravelly-voiced Michael Madsen. The former Reservoir Dogger’s presence usually denotes quality filmmaking. Not. Oh, and there’s a brief bar scene cameo by Eric ‘how many movies can I appear in this year?’ Roberts. So, we’re obviously off to a good start with Angels Fallen.
From then on, our heroic leads perform oh-so earnestly when they’re not mugging for the camera because who could take this cut-price Constantine seriously? In fact, it sometimes plays like Carry On Angels Fallen with scenes so comical they surely had the actors in hysterics? There’s an exorcism flashback that’s so brief it’s over before you can say “the power of Christ compels you.” And a bored-looking yet apparently creepy little girl who seems oh-so-innocent until she suddenly sprouts CGI wings prompting this dialogue: “She’s not a girl. She’s an angel. A demon angel!”
The best/worst scene depicts how a doll named Isabelle (yes, it’s nearly Annabelle) is revealed rather nonchalantly as a fallen angel. Thus, Houston Rhines as Gabriel is reduced to grappling with this bastion of evil clutched to his chest for a few seconds as if in a school play before simply batting away the malevolent miscreant. And yes, all the battles between the forces of light and darkness are reduced to some “bitch” slapping or a taser to the chest. Isabelle the evil doll is later seen wearing a Hannibal Lecter mask to enforce the sense of absurdity.
Still, despite some static camera set-ups at the start, once the action shifts to easy-on-the-eyes Macedonia, this is a fun piece of fantasy fluff that passes the time quickly, as long as the viewer obviously doesn’t take it seriously (who could?).
Angels Fallen is the kind of movie they used to show on Syfy, usually made by production company The Asylum, so it’s nice to see purveyors of loads-of-nonsense Uncork’d Entertainment peddling it to a wider audience. If you enjoy tongue-in-cheek vapid rubbish, this is wholeheartedly recommended. Fallen? It’s amazing the angels could even stand up straight long enough.
Adrian J Smith, MOVIES & MANIA
Other reviews:
“Hackneyed and fraught with poor choices, the film still manages to have its moments—particularly in its first act. With a myriad of issues cheapening the overall product, but a largely impressive cast, Angels Fallen feels like a SyFy Original: banal, but with good intentions.” Cryptic Rock
“The odd decisions of the filmmakers can’t be explained or anticipated. The actors play their rolls at an 11 from beginning to end. If you check this movie out, you’ll find yourself laughing, cheering, or shaking your head in derision. But you will not be able to look away.” Killer Horror Critic
“Some of you can enjoy the cheese factor of an attack by a possessed doll that’s obviously the actor shaking it. Or a character carried off by a poorly rendered swarm of locusts. You may find Angels Fallen watchable. I didn’t.” Voices from the Balcony
Filming locations:
Los Angeles, California
Skopje, Macedonia
