WARNING: The following contains spoilers for We Summon the Darkness, available on digital and VOD.
We Summon the Darkness is a black comedy that really draws heavy influence from the '80s glam-metal scene as it depicts three young men being targeted by a satanic cult. Or so it seems because as the film progresses, the audience discovers that Alexis (Alexandra Daddario), Bev (Amy Forsyth) and Maddie (Maddie Hasson) are actually operatives of the Daughters of the Dawn, faking killings to drive more people to their church.
But as We Summon the Darkness sways from a wannabe horror/slasher flick to an outlandish comedy, director Marc Meyers conjures up quite a few plot holes.
MARK'S KNIFE
Mark (Keean Johnson) takes a liking to Bev early on after they leave the Soldiers of Satan rock concert. They get back to Alexis' manor to drink the night away, but it's really so the ladies can drug and kill the guys. When Bev bumps into Mark, drinks spill on them and he gives her his jacket. However, she finds a knife in the pocket and quizzes him on it, eventually giving it back. It turns out it was his brother's, but it's a foolish move because it doesn't make sense as to why she would give him a weapon knowing they plan to murder them.
THE PANTRY SITUATION
For some reason, Bev takes the girls into the bathroom to say she wants to kill the next victim right after Ivan (Austin Swift) is killed. She could have said it there, though, so this is all for plot convenience because when the girls leave, it allows Mark and Kovacs (Logan Miller) to lock themselves in the pantry. However, there are clearly vacuum cleaners they can use as weapons against the girls who just have knives, but they prefer to break bottles than wield mid-range weapons.
THE DUMB SHERIFF
Sheriff Dembrowski (Tanner Beard) was called by Alexis' stepmom, Susan, when she saw cars at the manor, and he ends up chasing Alexis into the house when she can't fake an alibi. He finds Susan and Ivan dead, but when the boys come out of the pantry he tries to arrest them. It's pretty foolish because he totally forgets Alexis is his target, and he doesn't buy the boys' stories, despite them clearly being bloodied and injured. To cap it off, he doesn't radio in the murders and puts his gun on the table to cuff Mark, not in his holster. It's a rookie mistake that leads to Val stealing the weapon to blow the amateur cop's brains out.
THE SMOKING GUN
Bev turns on the girls and tries to help Mark and Kovacs, who's losing the use of his arm. Mark goes upstairs to fight Alexis while Bev heads down to battle Val in the basement, but she leaves the gun with Kovacs. To make matters worse, Kovacs heads out to the driveway -- mind you, it doesn't cross his mind to use the sheriff's keys -- and offers up the gun to Alexis' dad, Pastor Butler (Johnny Knoxville). Kovacs only recognizes him afterward, despite there being light outside, and the boys knowing him from TV. Kovacs gets shot in the stomach, yet neither Mark nor Bev acknowledges the loud gunshot to recognize that another attacker's coming.
THE PASTOR'S PLAN
Butler knows his daughter is upstairs fighting off Mark, and he even hears commotion but he simply waltzes into the kitchen for cookies and a drink. It's done for comedic effect but had Mark killed Alexis, Butler would have one more enemy to battle. He takes his time to head up to shoot the boy and he doesn't even acknowledge how Bev was in the basement. To make things worse, the plot has him making these gambles when he doesn't even know the weapons the targets are carrying.
BUTLER'S ENDGAME
Towards the end of the film, the pastor turns on Alexis and tries to kill her, wanting to place a PR spin on the aftermath. But the problem is potential disciples wouldn't want to follow a church whose leader can't keep his own home in check. If Alexis is perceived as a satanist, what does that say about her dad? Alexis being part of the killings defeats the purpose of the church and the public would now know the church has been gaslighting them.
Starring Alexandra Daddario, Maddie Hasson, Amy Forsyth, Keean Johnson, Logan Miller, Austin Swift and Johnny Knoxville, We Summon the Darkness is now available on digital and VOD.