[Review] ‘Attack of the Demons’ Charms With Animated Love Letter to Horror

In 2018, Synapse films released Path of Blood, an animated 17th century-set samurai feature that impressed for its meticulous cut-paper stop-motion. For his sophomore effort, director Eric Power turns to horror, infusing a plethora of genre influences into a charming comedic tale told through his painstaking process. The result is an animated feature created for the horror fan, ideal for Saturday morning consumption with your favorite cereal: Attack of the Demons.

Set around Halloween in 1994, the town of Barrington, Colorado is kicking off its annual music festival, drawing in attendees from out of town. After centuries of planning, a demonic cult uses the headlining band as ground zero to unleash a horde of mutating demons in their plot to destroy humankind. It’s up to a trio of non-demon hunters to thwart the demon apocalypse.

The film takes its time to establish the key players. Jeff (voiced by writer Andreas Petersen) is a video game fanatic visiting his eccentric survivalist uncle. He runs into fellow local Kevin (Thomas Petersen), a horror-loving cinephile, and the pair plan to catch up over a meal before evading the crowds of the fest. Natalie (voiced by Katie Maguire) is a former local that accompanies her boyfriend Chet (Eric Power) and his friend Brandon (also Andreas Petersen) back to Barrington for the fest. It’s clear that Natalie is itching for a breakup, though, and seems to have hitched a ride solely to see her favorite indie band. She crosses paths with Jeff and Kevin, which proves fortuitous when the monster invasion begins.

Attack of the Demons borrows largely from prominent horror films like The Thing, Demons, and Evil Dead. The demonic invasion spreads like an infection. It grotesquely murders, maims, and melts down humans and animals, then melds their bodies in Thing-like amalgamations. There’s even the hopeful but relatively inept chosen one, Stuart Combs (August Sargenti), that arrives in town wielding an ominous book meant to stop the cult. That name, a combination of Stuart Gordon and Jeffrey Combs, is only one of countless nods and references to the genre. “Bava” is chanted over and over by the cult as they summon the evil. Plotwise, Attack of the Demons is a greatest hits collage.

The surprises come from the inventive use of its paper animation. From the minute details to the grand spectacle battles in the mountains, the animation is the selling point of the film. Power manages to throw every possible manner of gore, viscera, bile, and blood on screen, creating delightful body horror and carnage. It’s pure chaos. Power painstakingly cut out each piece and layer, adding so much texture to the world. Again, it can’t be understated just how impressive the craftsmanship is here.

For all the vibrancy of the visuals, it’s hindered a bit by the voice cast. All sell the humor and hipster vibe of their characters well enough, but they also lack energy. Despite witnessing flesh being ripped apart and fused back together in inhuman ways, the core trio often sounds bored. When we should be feeling their fear and adrenaline, their line delivery instead soothes with monotonous cadence. As a result, it makes the second act drag.

Still, Attack of the Demons is worth the watch for Power’s singular vision. It’s easy to see cut-paper stop-motion set in Colorado and think of South Park, but Power created something far more intricate and earnest. The film wears its horror influences on its sleeve and then some, but the art style and lighthearted humor mean it’s accessible for all ages. At a brisk 75-minute runtime, Attack of the Demons makes for a pleasant love letter to horror. It may not offer anything wholly groundbreaking, but Power’s painstaking animation is a marvel.

Attack of the Demons is streaming as part of the Chattanooga Film Festival.