Truth About Demons (2000) User Reviews

Beautiful mix of Satanism, Murder, Demons and Dark Streets

[NewYorkRipper · 6/10 · 15 January 2011]

If you like your low budget horror-fests check this one right out.

The cast seems quite slim and of what characters do exist, they seem to spend their time running around streets and areas in dead of night and in places which we would probably never visit ourselves at that time of night, so it's night to see them on film and get that deep dark gritty feeling without actually having to be there.

Just the way it should be for an atmospheric horror.

Obviously made on a low budget, a mixture of Satanism, the esoteric, murder and of course demons as the title suggests, but after the initial slowish pace of the first 20-30 mins, there's plenty to keep the viewer on edge for the rest of the movie.

Definitely a must-watch for B-movie fans.

Not too shabby.

[JerseysRay · 6/10 · 17 September 2005]

Kind of a cross between Constantine/Hellblazer and Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere. A decent take on the urban mysticism sub-genre of horror. The acting is all pretty decent, especially for low budget, with the notable exception of the actor who plays his friend with way too much b-movie gusto.

The film definitely has an urban New Zealand vibe, and while not as over-the-top as the works of Peter Jackson, it certainly has a quirkiness that wouldn't be seen in a major studio release.

I also appreciate that the film isn't dumbed down for mass consumption. There's a couple of cases of the main character vocalizing an idea the viewer should have just realized, but these aren't terribly forced nor obnoxious. Urban's portrayal of a man forced to accept or deny a reality he doesn't believe in makes it work.

Overall, the movie suffers from too much drag as they try to spook us, but there are a few interesting twists and turns here and there. Worth a look, especially for fans of Karl Urban, who really lets his accent show.

Thinking acquiring opinion

[ParcheesyLetter14 · 5/10 · 24 December 2005]

I was up late one night watching Sci-Fi and I stumbled upon this flick. I recommend it if you want to see some wild make up ideas and a bit of...fantasy, mostly involving anatomy. i.e. someone ripping your heart out and it miraculously being back in your chest. How's that possible? Go watch the movie and hopefully you won't be disappointed. I do however believe that it probably could of been put together better but that's not necessarily my judging. It's something that will make you think if you believe in such things of the sort, heaven and hell most of all. But then again, isn't anything possible? It's all a matter of faith and being naive enough to see a demon chasing you. I'd watch it again, out of pure boredom most likely.

well I liked it!

[spiny__norman · 18 May 2004]

A group of us watched this, not expecting much from the bargain bin offering, but while it took a while to get going, we really got into it after a while, and the ending was great - is he mad or was it real??

Poor Harry - he has a lot going wrong with his life, and Karl Urban does a fine job in this classic B movie blood and guts fest. You will never see a live cockroach regurgitated so well.

If blood and guts isn't your thing, then I wouldn't recommend it - unless your a girl in which case its well worth watching just for Karl running around half naked for most of the film.

Not a great film, but does very well within its obviously small budget and the cast are great .

Irrefutably boring

[rumfoord · 1/10 · 30 December 2002]

In the long tradition of b-movies made in australia, Irrefutably boring starts off with some humorous dialogue: "that's not fear, that's how I look every morning. it's called existential fatigue". I thought it was amusing. Quickly enough the protagonist opens an envelope filled with blood and a vhs tape... and off to sleepy land we go. Seriously, this is tired, boring stuff. demons, gratuitous gore, satanists. Ok, I guess that would be ok if this were somewhat scary, but the this is about as taut a thriller as the maury povitch show.

B-Movies are like independent movies minus entertainment. They're like all the things that make hollywood crap, crap, minus the budget that makes them watchable. Save your hour and a half and do something around the house, or sleep, or something.

A good b-movie, as the director himself states...

[dddvvv · 7/10 · 7 July 2004]

I have seen the DVD version of this movie which includes interviews, trailers and other interesting stuff. It is the director himself that sates this is a low budget b-movie. It took no more than 6 weeks to get the whole thing completed. This should be enough to get rid of the major complaints about the 'not so' special fx. Anyway the movie shows nothing new about the plot and nothing new about the characters but all of the actors took their roles seriously, offering good acting performances, especially Karl Urban and Katie Wolf. Photography is gloomy and dark as it has to be, there are plenty of fast and violent action scenes and a lot of occult symbolisms that make this movie a good product (in its genre, of course).

I walked out... don't bother putting it in the player!

[a_i_gore · 1/10 · 23 June 2002]

This was the first film I have walked out of, but I just couldn't stand the boredom. Karl Urban does a passable job of playing our main character, but the supporting cast of hackneyed cliches surrounding him dooms this movie. It seems amateurish, and much that can be seen throughout has been done before, significantly better. I can't comment on the ending, I didn't last that long, but I really don't think it would be worth the time investment of watching to see the ending. Nothing could save this movie. Don't do it!

Don't accept what you think you know about.......

[Cemetarygirl · 7/10 · 20 September 2006]

I really like this movie. It takes you out of your comfort zone and makes you re-think your attitude to demons. The movie itself is low-key and does not rely heavily on special effects, but rather on the storyline and the acting. The main characters being very convincing with a few twists and turns that may surprise you. Karl Urban has continued to make a number of good films and I would include this one as a must see for Urban fans If I have one misgiving with this movie it is that it is assumed that those involved in cults would dress in punk outfits and stand out in the way that they do. So that they fall into a stereotype. Pity! Nevertheless this is worth watching for the acting and the premise that certainly got me wondering about the Truth about Demons. Cheers Furdion

No originality!!

[lord_dunstable · 1/10 · 1 June 2001]

I watched about 20-30 minutes and to call this one horror, i would not approve... I felt nothing, nothing at all!! All that happens can be predicted, and with good accuracy too!

An often frightening, genuinely disturbing horror gem

[Dario Fulci · 7/10 · 4 February 2001]

Available at Blockbuster as "The Truth About Demons" (guess Joe Consumer can't handle words like "Irrefutable"), this New Zealand-lensed horror pic is quite an unheralded gem. Sometimes succumbs to cliches (how many times can someone sneak up on the hero?!), but contains its fair share of shocking, disturbing images and gruesome moments in a tricky, intelligently plotted script leading up to a good final shock at the end. Writer/director Glenn Standring is a talent to watch...

This is a great movie

[cynthia_1968 · 10/10 · 20 January 2006]

I simply love this movie, not only because it was the first DVD I bought in the year 2001 but also because the idea of the movie is great.

When watching the movie, you don't know what's going to happen next. Some movies are quite predictable but this one isn't. There is so much going on with the Dr. Harry Ballard (Karl Urban). The trouble for Harry Ballard starts when he receives a video from Satanists.

After that many things are happening and his only hope is the pretty and mysterious Benny. Is she a guardian angel in this dark and mysterious world, or is she just insane? Perhaps she is even something scarier? Harry risk losing everything during his quest for answers because he is about to uncover the truth . . . the irrefutable truth about demons.

Stick with it.

[nebilcs-168-165298 · 7/10 · 14 July 2020]

I was poised to abandon watching after the first few minutes which weren't promising, but it slotted into an interesting rhythm and was worth the watch. It was more psychological horror than scare and it's a pity it didn't spend a little more time on the latter as what's there is pretty good. Very clever overall given the limitations.

The best horror movies come from Down Under

[abisio · 27 July 2003]

I surely can appreciate a bloodless/violent less horror film as The Ring, The Eye, Pulse (the Oriental originals) or The Six Sense, but to be frank, the best examples (and the most remembered classics) are the violent blood feast like Dead or Alive (Jackson), Phantasm (Cascarelli), Exorcist, Evil Dead (1 and 2), later made Oriental with Evil Dead Trap or the legendaries GIALLOS of the 70s and 80s.

Those classics, accumulate blood and body parts, dark aisles, knives and other penetrating objects, violence and sex. The most common elements, was the dark and quite relieving humor involved (often product of their own excess).

The Irrefutable Truth about Demons match that class B style with a class D budget never used better.

The story is more complex and ambiguous than it seems. An anthropologist doctor, whose brother committed suicide after being involved with a Satanic cult, receive a threatening video and later is kidnapped by cult members and attacked by DEMONS. He managed to escape, but his closest friends are killed. A mysterious girl came to his aide, but he refuses to accept her explanations. There is a twist; the guy is also a depressive drug addict. His fuzzy touch with reality make him (and us) doubt about what happening is real or just one of his trips.

During the one night everything happens; the suspense is kept to the max, using decent special efects, excellent use of sounds and background voices, moving shadows and cockroaches (and other insects). Even when the blood is not so much, one scene involving those disgusting insects will probably upset you. Particularly, when you realize that NO SPECIAL EFFECTS WERE INVOLVED.

The end of the movie is not on par with the rest, but there is a final unexpected twist.

A highly recommendable movie that never made an American release but is far, far better than almost every horror flick last year.

Why not?

[umyde · 6/10 · 17 October 2002]

We all know more or less what to expect when announced a horror movie coming either from Australia or New Zealand. B-series, in that wonderful 1970's tradition, have survived only there. In the case of THE IRREFUTABLE TRUTH ABOUT DEMONS, modern technologies and punk imagery have caught up with the genre. I would say it is worth seeing, it has not lost its raw horror spirit, even if updated into nothing really new.

Better Than Expected

[fatfil-414-451797 · 7/10 · 22 October 2022]

Although most obviously made on a comparatively small budget, this didn't distract from the overall quality of the movie. The acting was pretty good from all the main characters and the story had some interesting twists and turns. Don't understand those on here who complain about it being boring and unoriginal. Yes there isn't a death every five minutes and lots of blood and gore, but there is a story, remember those? The story was fairly original, and the plot didn't so much have holes, as unresolved/unexplained threads. Antipodean horror films do all seem to have a certain undefinable feel to them, a sort of gritty realism which isn't to everyone's taste, but personally, I found this to be one of the better entries which kept my interest throughout.

Surprisingly Decent

[blurnieghey · 6/10 · 2 April 2021]

I'm generally not a fan of newer movies, especially newer B horror movies, but this film was actually decent. It isn't particularly scary, but instead manages to tell a story that keeps you engaged throughout the duration, utilizing the "is it real?/is it a dream?/is he insane?" style of story line found in the likes of "Videodrome", forcing you to wonder what you are really watching. The acting is up to par and the writing is above average. This is the way you are supposed to make a B horror flick and it is a shame more people can't be bothered to put some effort into the actual script writing, relying instead on gore and other boring schlock that fails to shock at this point. Love the ending.

Excellent Pointless B-Horror entertainment

[lotusblues · 8/10 · 4 June 2005]

The movie is fantastic!!! It's campy, awesome, with senseless T&A, and a bit of gore just to make sure it rocks. My wife and I loved it. Also, there is a Philip K. Dickian moment where the protagonist is convinced that he is doing too much dope, and you kinda want to believe that the problem is so simple. Which brings you to the end, where the same effect is used. 8/10 For campy, creative, psychological fun.

P.S. Mywife loved the "Good" Chicks' outfits.

O.K, I will Say More get the comment in. I liked the "is he crazy or happy?" aspect of the flick. This to me, is what deepens it from you're average Hollywood gore flick. Lack of special effects demands more psychological/character interest to get a flick to work Who Knows who is winning this crazy ordeal we call life.

Not bad, but not too good either

[kannibalcorpsegrinder · 7/10 · 6 September 2012]

Upon finding himself under attack by a strange demonic cult, an anthropology professor tries to come to terms with his attitude when dealing with such groups in the past as he struggles to fight off the group's demonic ambushes.

Pretty enjoyable effort at times, though this is still pretty flawed. The best parts here are clearly the attempts at reality-altering that occur throughout the film, consisting of numerous visions that seem to occur at random times throughout the story, which range from bloody mutilations to demonic hallucinations and the appearance of real demons that really make this pretty freaky at times since there's a great tendency to use it for both reality and the hallucinations, making it unclear what's really happening. The use of black magic in the finale is pretty fun, and the deaths are plenty gory enough, though this one's problems do rear up. The villain here is a total joke and inspires nothing to fear, the followers are even worse as they look just like punks on adrenaline, and the continued implications that tell us otherwise are tiresome after a while. Plus, there's also the mistake of not doing any explaining of what's going on, leaving this slightly confusing as to what's the point. Though it's still watchable, these were enough to knock it down a little.

Rated R: Graphic Language, Graphic Violence, Brief Nudity and a sex scene.

"I wouldn't turn away from the truth, teacher."

[Backlash007 · 24 February 2003]

Buy two get one free. That's the only reason I bought this movie. The Irrefutable Truth About Demons was the only movie left in the bin that looked remotely interesting. Irony would have it that it turned out way better than the other two movies that I actually paid for. I was expecting a sh*tfest and I was very unexpectedly pleased with this film. I've said it before, that's what can make a good movie great. Karl Urban has a hand in making this a foreign horror gem as well. I recently saw him in the theater...twice; I happened to dig Ghost Ship and you may recognize him from some little movie called The Two Towers or something like that. If this guy keeps grabbing these kinds of roles, he could be one to watch for. The story centers around a cult in Lord of Illusions fashion called The Black Lodge (a Lynch reference?). It's not as great as Lord of Illusions, but it does a good job of keeping you on your toes. You never know what's in store for our hero from one encounter to another. There are quite a few complaints about it being boring, but I don't agree with that at all. It held my attention from first scene to last. And, thankfully, it keeps the CG to a minimum (just a few scenes, and they are awful). The end of the film was reminiscent of The Attic Expeditions in that you're not quite sure you know what's going on. Maybe that's the way it was supposed to be, or maybe they just couldn't think of a better ending. Either way, it's not a problem. My only quibble then, is that in the States, this movie is simply known as The Truth About Demons. I guess America's not ready for big words like "irrefutable."

New Zealand Horror

[Jack-Wareing-Films · 8/10 · 20 August 2020]

I saw this back in the day at it's original screening @ the Milan Film Festival. I remember having the feeling of 'I don't know why I like this movie so much, but I do'. 20 years later, and I still feel this way. Maybe it is 'because' of the opening goofiness of the characters in the opening scenes, maybe because the movie did have a nice amount of Gore and cool Special make-up FX, or maybe just because it is a kind a quirky/strange film that uses just a few digital FX ( i.e. super wide shot of a demon climbing up the exterior of a building) and is used just slightly, and only to support the 'in camera practical special FX. Plus it just has a nice playful tone that shifts into a more dark, and disturbing feel quite seamlessly and effectively while all the while maintaining it's quirky charm. I still like this movie a lot, and I think it has aged well for 20 years.

What the...

[damo-k · 2 October 2001]

There was something about the movie that made me think it was Australian. Actually, I had a feeling it was New Zealand - but I didn't want to think that something this unexciting could drag itself onto television, let alone a video that is a New Zealand production. Congratulations are in order for the film crew; just as I was warming up to interesting films like Stickmen, you drain all my hopes of New Zealand ranking highly in the movie industry with well-made cinematic experiences.

I watched this movie without any interest in it at all and was the only one in the room with my friends completely unphased from what I was seeing. Altogether I found it rather beaten to death with predictability (well, apart from the last five minutes) and bitch-slapped with a few well-exercised cliche's.

Personally, I found it boring but then again, it could be just me.