Maleficia backdrop
Maleficia poster

MALEFICIA

1998 • FR HMDB
January 1, 1998

A family of 19th century nobles, traveling through the woods, comes across a satanic sect that is performing a ritual. Initially attracted by the strange phenomenon, all the members of the family begin to observe the development of the black mass. But they will soon bitterly regret their curiosity because the hooded priests begin to brutally sacrifice girls and through the ritual resurrect a myriad of hungry zombies. The family runs away to avoid being devoured and takes refuge in an old, apparently abandoned manor.

Directors

Antoine Pellissier

Cast

Guy Cicorelli, Nelly Astaud, Brigitte Garrigue, Claude Gatumel, Maryline Sojo, Nicolas Pélissier
Horror

REVIEWS (1)

ER

Emiliano Ranzani

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A family of 19th-century nobles in a carriage stops in a forest where, at the same instant, a satanic cult performs human sacrifices of young girls; the ritual gives new life to the dead buried there, who immediately attack the protagonists, forcing them to take refuge in an old abandoned castle. In the basements, however, there are vampires... Thus, in the delirious mix of satanism, zombies, and Dracula brothers, we arrive at an at least unexpected ending. A French film shot in digital by one of the few exponents of underground horror across the Alps, "Maleficia" can be summarized, similarly to many other films of the genre, as a rather simple story to give free rein to the bloody imagination of the director. Beautiful locations and costumes, but too many flaws due to the budget, which, although above those of normal home-style films, is too low to allow the director and crew to make certain scenes in the best way. A lot, a lot of gore (with the killing and resurrection of a child) and some quotes, such as that of "The Horrors of the Castle of Nuremberg" by the great Mario Bava, are not enough to save the viewer from boredom due to the excessive length and repetitiveness of the film.