South Of Hell: The Complete Series (TV series DVD review).
I tend to have a slightly disruptive way of buying things from time to time, mostly driven by that looks interesting and ignore review comments. I suspect you do a similar thing with SFC reviews, if for no other reason then plain curiosity to see if we’re wrong or you have the reverse taste to ourselves. That’s a healthy attitude by the way. We’re guides, not dictators to your taste.
It also ensures I take chances on shows, challenging my tastes and seeing if I can pick something that got overlooked. Its an outlook that has served me well at SFCrowsnest. ‘South Of Hell’ struck me both by the box cover and then the opening episode title, ‘Demons Are Forever’. Clearly its creator Matt Lambert back in 2015 had a sense of humour, even if the series only lasted 8 episodes. You have to have a sense of humour and pay attention where a sign saying ‘Women’ flashes its ‘W’ so it reads ‘omen’.
Even better, this introductory episode explains all that is going on. Charleston, South Carolina is literally a hellhole for demonic possession. To make ends meet, Maria Abascal (actress Mena Suvari) is hired to free people possessed by demons. To do this, she releases her own personal demon, Abigail. Getting back control, she has to rely on her brother, David (actor Zachary Booth), to act as her anchor. Don’t expect this to be a perfect relationship as David is a bit of a shit when it comes to money, clearly in debt and not paying their bills and, oh, he’s a drug addict, but not of the usual kinds of drugs. Into this mix cover the Reverend Elijah Bledsoe (actor Lamman Rucker), who knows something of Maria’s past and whose own daughter, Grace (actress Paulina Singer), was involved and recently turned up. He needs Maria’s help to restore her soul. Everything is laid down and makes ‘The Exorcist’ look tame in comparison.
Without going too spoiler, you also see how people try to get by and live in such a situation, focusing on particular lives and how they are affected. Nothing is what it seems and I suspect you’ll give it a second viewing later in case you missed anything.
The series might be south of Hell, but you also get the opportunity to visit Purgatory, have a dowdy meal and an offer to go to the hot place. The imagery is striking and, especially in the final episode, with the A&O executive attempting to convince you to join his cause should make you question any religious sect with similar convictions.
I got the impression at the end that they didn’t expect to go beyond this first season but left a thread in case they were asked.
The extras are only a few minutes each and of the kind you would have expected to appear on YouTube. Oh, don’t trust devils and demons. It isn’t just your souls they want.
GF Willmetts
August 2022
(pub: Dazzler Media, 2015. 2 DVDs 8 episodes. Price: I pulled my copy for about £10.00 (UK). ASIN: DAZ00258)
cast: Mena Suvari, Zachary Booth, Lamman Rucker, Paulina Singer and Bill Irwin
check out website: https://cinando.com/en/Company/dazzler_media_47809/Detail