Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Revealer’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the motion picture, ‘Revealer’.
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The end of the world is a concept that has captivated the whole of mankind for thousands of years and understandably so. After all, we are a species that can comprehend death and the fact that we understand it… allows for us to ponder upon how our end can come to fruition and how our society could collapse. And our fascination with such matters has allowed for all kinds of possibilities to be posed by way of various writings and media. For there are biblical passages that speak to an end revolving around fire and brimstone and the return of a messiah. While there are other stories out there that ponder upon an end related to say… the death of death. Wherein corpses return to life and attack the living and of course… the invention of nuclear weapons, has left all of pondering upon what a nuclear apocalypse might look like.
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But while it is fascinating to know that the morbid aspect of our brains has no problem taking a little time out of its day to think about the end of everything and how that might go down… our discussions and thoughts on such matters have managed to neglect an equally as important conversation regarding the end. Specifically… if it were to come, how would we meet it? Because our final moments are critical, to the point where we have expectations of how they should go in normal, everyday life, and we should in fact… have some understanding of whether or not we will meet the end of everything standing tall and brave or in another manner. Since how we go out, might determine our legacy for those who rebuild, and well… it just so happens that a brand-new horror film on Shudder, takes the time to ponder upon that question.  

A feat that Revealer accomplishes by putting a pair of polarizing people in quite the unique and compromising situation. For shortly after we meet devout Christian Sally Mewborne, and proud adult entertainer Angie Piteralli… they are thrust together beneath the same roof, as the end of the world gets underway. A shocking twist of events that forces the both of them to work together and truly ponder upon the meaning of life and the lives they’ve led and that… leads to a supremely philosophical segment of this story as they work to evade an the prince of demons, who has been sent after them to pass final judgment upon both of them, and well… that is quite the brilliant plot when all is said and done, for several reasons. 

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First and foremost, because it really does allow for the characters to ponder upon the end of everything and how they should be responding to it. Because with the end in sight and death upon them at any moment… they have to figure out who they are and what they stand for and how they keep that alive in the event they are pulled from this plane of existence. But more importantly, they need those answers so that they can find peace at the end. For neither of them has resolved the concerns and follies that hovered over them before things got weird and that more or less informs the audience that there should be less fear in a situation this threatening. Because this would be our chance to shine, a moment where we can be brave and be everything we ever wanted to be... because we have nothing to lose, and that allows for these characters to grow before our eyes and be honest with themselves and it also inspires us and that’s a good thing.
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Because all fascinating exploration aside on how we should face the end of the world, make no mistake about it, this is a horror film through and through. One that is eager to set a horrifying stage by giving us an apocalypse that ignites imagination and fear with visuals that make it clear the end is nigh and it is awful, and the uncomfortable nature of this story doesn’t end there. Since Asmodeus is relentless in his judgmental hunt of these two brave women and the nightmares he conjures up, leads to some eerie and gory moments for certain. The kind that unsettles the viewer with a brilliant use of the dark and by way of the monsters that roam the shadows. For the ugly little creatures that reside there, are part biblical in nature and part Lovecraftian as well, making for the perfect nightmare fuel and the wonder of this film doesn’t end there.

For this is a movie that taps into the current wave of 80s nostalgia by setting the story in 1987. Allowing for a neon nightmare to take place, one complete with John Carpenter-esque synth riffs and slang and technology to properly immerse you in this alternate 1987 where the tubular times came to a horrifying end in the worst way possible. Plus, there’s the right balance of humor to be found here thanks to Angie and her sassy nature and speaking of the characters, well… none of this would work without quality acting to sell the moment and thankfully, that’s present here too. Since Caito Aase (Angie) and Shaina Schrooten (Sally) are perfect on screen together and deliver performances that feel real and well… in the end, all of these elements make this a must-see horror film. Because this one has something for every horror fan out there. Commentary, depth, gore and fun and that glory days 80s feel, and the best news of all… is that you can enjoy this little gem right now, since it is currently streaming on Shudder.  

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