Tristan van Doorn’s Diabolisch is an eerie slow-boil infused with the alchemy of The Sixth Sense mixed with The Exorcist into a horror story which reminds us that the demons carried by our parents, if not dealt with in their time, are passed down to us. And, should we choose to turn a blind eye to them, then our children can look forward to carrying on the darkness we carry inside.
Caroline Lichtenberg plays Jessica. A haunted woman. Plagued by phantoms in the dark, which speak to her. At first, these shadows come to her in dreams and faint flashes during her waking hours. Jessica is shocked and startled by them, but maintains as she goes about her daily routines. Still, at different times, in different places, she catches herself staring into the surrounding dark, sensing something lurking.
Soon, however, these manifestations grow in strength, and Jessica constantly blanks out and wanders mentally as the visions in her head and the manifestations act in unison. Though she is convinced she is being followed, Jessica takes comfort from her friends and work colleagues, but mostly she confesses to her daughter, Anna (Elske Stout).
As those who love and care for her deal with Jessica’s fits of fright and screaming as though she is being stalked, the ghosts that torment her close in, and she is forced to defend her position, frantically asserting that there is something or someone after her.
“Plagued by phantoms in the dark which speak to her.”
She returns home to question her father as to her mother’s passing, and he reluctantly admits that something unnatural had possessed his wife. Back at work, Jessica searches online for keys and clues to the nature of the phenomena that plagues her. Going down the internet rabbit hole, she soon finds her way to an expert in the field, Dr. Raymond Erlings (Jos Timmerman). The good doctor confirms what she knows, yet seems unable to quantify her experiences.
As the power of the darkness within her seeps through to the surface, Jessica struggles to maintain her grip on reality. With the strength of the supernatural force working against her with each passing hour, Jessica must make the choice to fight against the spectre of the past if she is to save herself and her daughter’s future.
Director van Doorn’s vision of the malevolence that dwells within us all is stunningly chilling and enticing. The dark corners of the human soul are not merely a battleground, but a shadowy staircase leading down to the depths of harrowing psychological torture. Caroline Lichtenberg anchors this movie with a performance that projects fortification and vulnerability just as she navigates a chess game against a demon that will not stop until it has total control of her mind and will.
Diabolisch is a sensationally sneaky elevated horror film which blurs the line between what we see with the naked eye, in contrast with the eye of the mind. What evil lurks in us stirs if we try to deny it. And it fights to consume us at the core. Dark, creepy, and a devilish delight.
"…Dark, creepy and a devilish delight."
