A horror film born from South African apartheid? Gabriel Bologna’s feature film White Devils is not what you think it is, but it’s pretty mental nonetheless.
Our tale opens with a couple, Sussie (Chella Ferrow) and Frikkie (Damon Shalit), digging a giant hole at night in front of their dilapidated home on a South African farm. The two wake up in bed relatively late and are about to engage in morning coitus. Their black housekeeper, Alina (Connie Jackson), rushes in and warns the pair of an unknown car approaching.
Pulling us in is Mr. Grove (Jonny Coyne), a lawyer representing Sussie and Frikkie’s recently deceased aunt. It appears that the pair are about to inherit a great deal of money, but Mr. Grove is concerned about the condition of their current home, which they inherited from Sussie and Frikkie’s parents after their passing. If they can’t take care of a house, then they certainly cannot responsibly spend their aunt’s inheritance.
As the sun begins to set, Mr. Grove agrees to spend the night at the house against his better judgment. As time passes, he discovers the strange relationship between Sussie and Frikkie and uncovers some truly horrifying secrets.
Watching White Devil is like peeling an onion—layers start to shed away, and you don’t understand why you’re crying. The film starts frantically as our couple digs a giant hole, then it gets crazy sexy, and then you’re in a house on the verge of collapse with pee pots everywhere. Now add our two protagonists spending the rest of the film triggering each other with painful memories of the past that escalate in horror as each frame passes.
“If they can’t take care of a house, then they certainly cannot responsibly spend their aunt’s inheritance.”
I did mention that this all takes place in the waning days of South African apartheid. Let’s be clear that this is not exactly a political film overlaid by a horror film. Still, a thread is associated with apartheid throughout the film, and a satisfying conclusion is found at the end.
I’d describe White Devils as a psychological thriller that keeps you off balance the moment the story stops and spins you around until the very last frame. We are in Mr. Grove’s shoes as he realizes what is happening between Sussie and Frikkie. We become just as horrified as he is with every revelation.
Then there’s Sussie and Frikkie. In fear of spoiling, let’s just say that when we’re not in Mr. Grove’s shoes, we are thrust into the pair’s triggering role-play. As each slips into a dream-like disassociation, we go with them, and it gets nuts.
The cast is simply amazing…I mean, insane. As the flighty Sussie, Chella Ferrow is super hot and takes us from lust to disgust on a dime. Jonny Coyne manages to pull out some sympathy for even a lawyer. Poor Damon Shalit as Frikkie, holding everything together by a very thin thread.
White Devils is a slow descent into madness, peeling back layers of family trauma, lust, and long-buried sins until you’re left raw and rattled. Gabriel Bologna masterfully disorients, while Chella Ferrow and Damon Shalit deliver unhinged performances that make you want to sit naked in the dark corner of your bedroom. By the end, you’ll realize the real horrors aren’t supernatural—they’re inherited.
"…takes us from lust to disgust on a dime."
