Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Devil Seed’

Written by Scott Edwards

Going off to college can be a hard thing for many people, since for most of us, it is the first time we are free and clear of our parents. Having to be our own adults, so many people embrace this freedom and do things that they would never have done if any family member was around. But there are those people out there that will not change and act as if their parents are still watching over them. These are the people that I have to admire, not changing their morals for anything or anyone and just staying true to who they are. 

After spending all summer at home with her grandmother who is battling cancer, Alex has finally made it back to school. Moving into a new rental off campus, Alex, Jessica and Bree are roommates once again and looking to live it up. But Bree has something keeping her from being extremely friendly with Alex since she is sleeping with Alex’s boyfriend on the side. Although this is a secret in the house, Bree is not backing down on her activities, but wants to keep it away from Alex as long as she can.

Alex and Jessica head off to a pre starting school party where they drink too much and have a good time, especially on the way home. Stopping at a fortune teller’s shop, the drunk girls enter and are looking to be entertained, but something goes wrong when the gypsy sees another figure standing behind the ghost of Alex’s mother. Throwing a fit in the shop, Alex does not remember anything that happened that night, but is starting to think that she is going crazy around the house when hearing strange sounds and seeing things that are not there. Not being able to explain what is happening to her, Jessica tries to get her some help from the school’s counselor, but Alex does not want to talk about her troubles for fear of sounding crazy.

Devil Seed follows the story of Alex Froshiber as she is returning to school after a long summer of taking care of her grandma during her fight with cancer. Moving in with her friends, Alex feels at home on campus, but there is something stalking her in the new house. After a gypsy woman tells Alex her future, something invades Alex’s body and she is not able to escape it. As the days go by, Alex begins to doodle in her books, but it becomes more vigorous and she is not able to explain when she did them, much less what the symbols mean. Losing blocks of time, seeing people who are not there and hearing strange sounds around the house, she has to find a reason behind what is happening to her. Looking up demons in the library, Alex is able to identify some things that are happening to her that relate to being possessed, but when she starts receiving symbols in the form of scratches on her body, Jessica has to step in and get her some help. Wanting to help her friend is the only thing on Jessica’s mind, but should she be interfering in something she herself cannot explain?

Just your run of the mill possession movie with a young woman that has never done anything wrong becoming the victim. But being given a little gift from the demon as well, I like how Alex has to battle all of her fears, along with a cheating boyfriend that is jumping down her throat whenever he is in the mood and she pushes him away. Without really trying to delve into the religious aspect of the possession, this movie does a great job showing the journey that Alex has to take and the surprise she has when she finds out what is wrong with her. I kind of liked it, although I wish the demon infecting her was a little bit more violent right from the start, as some of the actions it performs could have been served earlier in the story, to really instill the fear into the audience and the roommates. Stay Scared.

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