Bury the Devil (2026) Review – Watch on CocoFlix

Confined Terrors and Unseen Evils

Set to be released in 2026, “Bury the Devil” is an hour and 24 minute horror-thriller directed by Adam O’Brien. This movie puts viewers into a horrifying situation where they have to face their deepest fears about being defenseless and dealing with the unknown. The premise is a hospice nurse (Emmanuelle Lussier Martinez), who loses all means of escape after ending up in a house with a dementia patient (Bill Rowat). This is not just a situation that pits a nurse against the effects of aging. The nurse begins to think there is something else. The premise has a lot of promise because it combines something that is truly scary, the effects of aging and the cognitive effects of dementia, and combines it with something even more scary, the supernatural. Since the scale of the movie is so small, (aside from the cast) it only includes one location, the single location adds to the claustrophobia and the helplessness the nurse’s paranoia quickly becomes the viewer’s paranoia. The budget only has to provide atmosphere over special effects to set the initial mood and convey the tension. Also, the movie will have an R rating, so expect the movie to go for the classic, and much appreciated, horror approach of most unconventional and disturbing scares.

Whispers of Dread and Waning Conviction

Where Bury the Devil truly succeeds is with its ability to capture a pervasive sense of unease throughout the entire film. The presentation of the spooky atmosphere is especially evident in the nurse and patient interactions. The director was able to create a truly haunting atmosphere. A significant amount of dread is created through the patient and nurse interactions. Emmanuelle Lussier Martinez does exceptional work in this film, really adding depth and real emotion, and conveying true fear and desperation. Martinez’s performance is what really solidifies the audience’s interests when the first inherently demonic elements start to present themselves. The ideas of the burnt line between mental deterioration and demonic possession are already entertaining and compelling, and where the film really shines is in its articulation of ideas through psychological terror. The execution of the special effects really help to serve the story, and really don’t stand out, which is a good sign for a film of this budget. It’s apparent that O’Brien is intent on really disturbing the audience, and there are moments where that really comes through.

The film is struggling to hold my interest. While the central theme of the film is spooky, the way the horror grows also feels disjointed. It does not create internal consistency for the horror that is building. Audience comments reflect on this and note that the plotline does not always make sense and can pull you out of the viewing experience. The intimate cast, which was once a strength for this movie, shows some inconsistent acting and really highlights the disjointed performances. Lussier Martinez is playing a part that shines, but the rest of the cast does not always come into the life of a scene as they should. This leads to the emotional intensity dropping because of uneven acting. When this is combined with an approach to directing the cast that leaves so much room for improvement, it is clear that the film tries to reach its full potential. The uneven acting along with an approach to directing and casting that leaves a lot to be desired leads to unmotivated acting. The pacing also suffers creating long, uninteresting movie-going experiences.

The Devil's Missed Beats

While "Bury the Devil" has creative scares, it has a plot with some missteps. It starts with an eerie situation, but certain steps are missed to build toward a larger impact. It was almost as if one scene had a great idea that was almost implemented, but it never made the final cut. The scenes that almost made it were genuine scares. It's like a drive by scare; it's almost impactful, but disappears as fast as it happened. It contains a solid plot to store potential for an atmospheric movie, but the performance and the story are too inconsistent to make it great. It hasumpy plot, but is good in parts to keep someone immersed. The pacing of the movie was good enough so that the discrepancies weren’t as noticeable. While it wasn't a bad movie and contained a unique idea, "Bury the Devil" is nothing special.