Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘At the Devil’s Door’

Written by Scott Edwards 

Let’s be honest now, there is no way to get something for nothing these days. With all of these offers going around promising a free trip, a free television, even free cable, there are always strings attached, and there is no way of getting out of it. It is always a safe practice to read the fine print when these offers present themselves to you, so that you know what you are getting yourself into.

Young Hannah is looking for a way to impress her new boyfriend. Falling in love with the young man just days into her trip to California, she does not want to leave his side, but he has other ideas. Asking her about what her beliefs are, he finds out that she does not believe in the Devil and has a friend that is willing to wheel and deal for some extra cash. Thinking little of this, Hannah takes the plunge and sells her soul for five hundred dollars, as she knows that this is just a superstition that will not come back to haunt her in the end.

Leigh is a real estate agent that is looking to make it big in any way that she can. Getting a call for a quick sell on a house, she is not able to pass it up. Looking through the fresh estate, she notices that there is some furniture that has been left behind, along with some fire damage on the door of one of the rooms. When talking to the sellers, she finds out that they have both been laid off of work and are trying to sell the house for money so they can survive, and when learns that their daughter has their away from home, it suddenly makes sense why they both seem so shaken about their soon to be former home. When walking the estate, Leigh sees a young woman rummaging around the house and figures out that this is the couple’s wayward daughter.

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​While waiting for the inspectors to come to the house, Leigh is late for her sister Vera’s opening art show. As the two have been extremely close over the years since the loss of their parents, Leigh only wants the best for her sister and is trying to get her to settle down and have kids, since she is not able to. Although Vera has her focus other places, she humors her sister by listening, but in no way shape or form plans to settle down at this point in her life. As a storm moves in and Leigh is staying in her new commissioned property, she starts to hear strange things around the house and then a visitor comes in the back door. Thinking that this is the couple’s daughter, Leigh brings her in with open arms, but when she is able to contact the sellers, she finds out that their daughter has returned home to them. Not knowing who the stranger is, Leigh starts to ask questions, but when the young girl vanishes from the table and winds up in one of the rooms, Leigh is able to find out what the noises around the house have been.

At the Devil’s Door focuses around the relationship of sisters Leigh and Vera as they are the only family they have left. Leigh is a real estate agent, while Vera is an aspiring artist. While neither of the women have any family left to speak of, Leigh is hoping that her sister will settle down and become the mother that she could never be. While working on selling her new commission property, Leigh stays at the home and does her own inspection. With a young woman running around the estate, Leigh believes that it is her seller’s runaway daughter and invites her in with open arms. But as Leigh finds out, the young woman is someone else as the couple have found their daughter. Trying to find out who the young woman is, Leigh gets to find out firsthand what really happened in the house. Without being able to protect herself from the force that is inhabiting the young girl, Leigh succumbs and is not able to survive, pulling her sister into the deadly family mix. Trying to understand what happened to her sister, Vera questions everybody involved and finds out the story about young Hannah who sold her soul and she also uncovers what the seller really wanted all along.

Not knowing where this movie was going from the beginning is what really made me enjoy it. With a couple of different stories being played out throughout the film, it makes you wonder what really happened to the characters and what they were able to see. With one of my favorite storylines, making a deal with the devil coming to light, this movie has found a special place in my heart. I have always enjoyed these stories, even when I was a little kid, just to decide for myself if the deal was really worth it. Every story that has to deal with the price of darkness has a different twist, and why not, as the Devil is always looking to torment someone in some way that will make their lives miserable for the foreseeable future. Stay Scared.

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