Searching for Demons in Beyond the Grave: A Movie Review

*full disclosure: a screener of this film was provided by director Davi de Oliveira Pinheiro.

Director/writer: Davi de Oliveira Pinheiro.

Cast: Rafael Tombini, Álvaro Rosa Costa and Ricardo Seffner.

Portos dos Mortos or Beyond the Grave is currently making the rounds on the film festival circuits in North America. A more accurate translation of the Portuegese title is Portals of the Dead and this film is from Brazilian director Davi de Oliveira Pinheiro. Pinheiro has developed a suitable action thriller here set in a zombie apocalypse. The desolate locales and makeup effects highlight the apocalypse, while a western genred film tries to develop in the character's dress and armaments. The characters are what made this film interesting to one reviewer and fans of indie zombie fiction should seek this film out.

Actor Rafael Tombini is a police officer who is seeking out an elusive demon. This supernatural being can pass from body to body much like the nemesis of The First Power (1990), Patrick Channing. This power makes disposing of the demon troublesome. At least four characters are possessed at some point, but sometimes the will of the protagonist can outmatch the devil's.

And the power of the devil lies in the seduction of murder. Many of those murdered include the detective's many acquaintances. The first couple that the policial (police officer) encounters are killed by the demon's henchmen. Another group of survivors is whittled down to none as the demon shows some exceptional flesh carving abilities. A bloody visage on a stone is a bloody reminder that one should never make a deal with the devil. The final character to succumb to evil is the policial's mentor and temporary guide. This sets up a suitable confrontation between the detective and his closest confidante who has now been demonized.

You, the viewer, will know who the demon is from the appearance of red contacts. Other makeup effects are more elaborately composed. The undead lie in pools of blood or they meander about outside a local safehouse. The undead, unfortunately, seem especially apathetic of infecting others and perhaps this is one of the film's greater weaknesses. Another stumbling point involves the use of weapons in the film. Can a 2' sword really offer any sort of defence? How about an extended slingshot? Neither of these two weapons look threatening. The cinematography of the film is also unthreatening with cinematographer Melissandro Bittencourt showing the natural beauty of Rio Grande do Sol, Brazil. Pinheiro relies on naturally lit exterior shots and the result is often awe inspiring.

Other elements of Beyond the Grave are less awe inspiring such as pacing and this film is for that small group of film fans who enjoy indie zombie films. Surely there are more fans of this style of filmmaking outside of the zombie film afficionado found here, right? So, fans of zombie thrillers should look for this film where it can be found. The zombies in the film could have been a little more aggressive, but perhaps they would have distracted from the movie's main story. After all, this is a confrontation with inner and outer demons.

Overall: 6.75 out of 10 (lots of minor characters, great cinematography, slowly paced, small budget, in Portuguese, entertaining).

The film's fan page is here:

Beyond the Grave on Facebook


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Posted in: 2012,america,brazil,independent,movie poster,movie review,story,zombie