Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls is a 2023 American comedy horror about a fledgling occultist and a group of worshipers who attend a once-in-a-lifetime ritual at their idol Bartok the Great’s mansion.
Written, directed and edited by Andrew Bowser. Produced by Clark Baker, Olivia Taylor Dudley, Jeremy Hunt and Michael Mobley.
The Greenery Studios production stars Olivia Taylor Dudley (Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension), Jeffrey Combs, Arden Myrin, Barbara Crampton, Rivkah Reyes, Terrence ‘T.C.’ Carson, Melanie Chan, Guy Wilson, Ryan Stanger, Andrew Bowser, Donna Pieroni, Michael Monsour, Kareem Stroud, Adam Dougherty, Kristin Dalleske, Ryan Wilkes, Calico Jones, Shane McCormick, Miles Berwick and Gus Williams.
Plot:
Misunderstood by all who know him, Marcus J. Trillbury (Andrew Bowser), aka Onyx the Fortuitous, is struggling to find purpose in his soul-devouring side gig. But just when it seems he’s ready to throw in the towel, he receives a coveted invitation to the mansion of his idol Bartok the Great (Jeffrey Combs) for a ritual to raise the spirit of an ancient demon.
Ecstatic, he joins Bartok, his mysterious delegate Farrah (Olivia Taylor Dudley) and a collection of fellow devotees as they prepare for the ceremony, but quickly it becomes apparent things are not what they seem. As Onyx and his new friends fight to keep their souls, he must decide what he’s willing to sacrifice in order to meet his destiny…
Release:
Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 22, 2023, before several more festival showings. The movie will have a limited theatrical one-night event on October 19, 2023. The film will show at 7:00pm and 10:00pm throughout the country.
Reviews:
“Your enjoyment will be determined by how much you like the strange-voiced, virginal cartoon-loving loser at the heart of it. I thought Onyx was relatively funny and I didn’t have any issues, but some reviewers seem to in no way be able to get past him. I mean, more movies should have demon puppets in them.” B&S About Movies
” …it has a comparable quality to some of The Magicians musical episodes. The demons are built with a similar aesthetic to Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal. Expect hilariously nerdy allusions for genre afficionados at each and every turn. I could easily forsee Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls becoming a cult classic in the near future.” Josh at the Movies
“With its familiar zero-to-hero plot and cartoonish yet foul-mouthed humor,Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls is a charming and entertaining watch from beginning to end, definitely not what I was expecting for a movie built around a meme from seven years ago (which, considering meme culture, feels like ages ago).” Nightmare on Film Street
“With something of a resting stressed face, Onyx speaks quickly and anxiously as if trapped in the mannerisms of a dungeon master; he constantly looks uncomfortable, but the performance is seamless like great and memorable comedy characters are. Some people are going to find this level of actorly dedication really annoying. I couldn’t get enough of it.” RogerEbert.com
“Considerably better than expected is actually a good way to describe Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls. It does the difficult job of expanding a comedy sketch to feature length without dragging, and it looks good while doing it. The characters have franchise potential and the ending recognizes it, I just hope they tone Onyx down a bit in the sequels.” Voices from the Balcony
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