Portal to Hell has a gloriously absurd premise echoing Sam Raimi’s Drag Me to Hell, but despite the demons, gore, and the Devil’s gateway to Hades located in a laundromat, this movie comes out of the wash a bit flat.
Written and directed by Woody Bess, Portal to Hell follows Dunn (Trey Holland), a predatory debt enforcer whose weary life takes a supernatural detour when he discovers a gateway to Hell inside his neighborhood laundromat. Cue in Ed (Romina D’Ugo), the spunky laundry attendant whose main concern is not getting fired over this new hellish amenity.
Out steps Chip, a demon voiced with signature laid-back menace by comedy legend Richard Kind, who has apparently come to collect the soul of Dunn’s terminally ill neighbor, Mr. Bobshank (Keith David). This news, oddly enough, hits Dunn like a ton of bricks given his perplexing one-sided friendship with Bobshank, who, like everyone else Dunn talks to, can’t seem to stand him.
Luckily for Dunn, there’s room for negotiation with this particular demon: If Dunn can provide three replacement souls, Bobshank gets a reprieve. For a guy whose profession already involves heartlessly deciding who owes what, it’s an appropriately twisted proposition for him that you’d think he’d relish.
Relish he does not, and soon come the predictable hints of a tragic backstory (bring out the violins). Ed and Dunn decide to team up and play infernal debt collectors, because why the hell not. A few long-failed banter scenes later, the duo is deciding who deserves damnation, and just how far they’re willing to compromise their own souls to save somebody else’s.
Dunn (Trey Holland) reaches for a hanger in a glowing laundromat in Portal to Hell.
“…a predatory debt enforcer whose weary life takes a supernatural detour when he discovers a gateway to Hell inside his neighborhood laundromat.”
Portal to Hell has the kind of gloriously stupid-smart premise that makes me immediately wish to root for it, but with one small catch: my gut couldn’t seem to cheer for this hard-ass money collector despite the backstory’s call for empathy.
Another problem was pacing when it strays from its wonderfully ridiculous central gag into heavier emotional territory and uneven comedy. A leaner approach in spots might have kept the comic momentum sharper, along with a trim, three-act plot line. Nice premise, a protagonist facing the devilish consequences of self-serving decisions, but unfortunately, Dunn never really leans into the classic setup the film is begging for.
That’s not to say Portal to Hell is entirely without merit. The VFX were terrific. As a massive horror fan, I care most about the monsters. Demon Chip was kind of a Guillermo del Toro-inspired Pan’s Labyrinth type creature. They did a nice job keeping Chip just out of sight, making me wish more was revealed. While the practical gore was spare, it was gloriously gag-worthy. That gives the film an old-school genre charm. It feels closer to the era when horror-comedies were allowed to be weird, scrappy, and character-driven.
The casting also hits a particularly sweet spot for genre and comedy fans. I’ve long been a fan of Keith David’s horror work in John Carpenter’s The Thing and They Live; his voice alone might convince Satan to renegotiate his three-for-one contract. He’s one of those actors whose presence immediately gives a genre movie extra weight. As Bobshank, David injects a nuanced dimension into his character.
Richard Kind as a demon is inspired. His naturally genial, exasperated delivery is even funnier coming from a demon. Michael McDonald brings another welcome dose of veteran comic timing I wish the rest of the film had.
Portal to Hell ultimately feels like a movie caught between two conflicting speeds: a slow, meditative character piece and a blood-soaked demonic comedy. I just wish it had cranked up the latter a few more notches.
"…While the practical gore was spare, it was gloriously gag-worthy."
