Right from the very first scene, this movie grabs your attention. It places ordinary people in some rather extraordinary situations. It plays with your natural instincts and pits them against you. But I’m getting ahead of myself, I should first tell you a little bit more about the general vibe. Anything For Jackson is a slow-burning occult horror movie full of subtle humor. You can’t quite predict whether the next scene will be extremely creepy, scary, or funny. We will be following a group of Satanic worshipers and their devious but also understandable machinations and rituals.
Complete with incantations in Latin, as it is customary. As you can notice, the plot is as familiar as they get when it comes to this genre. And if I told you that one of the lead characters is a pregnant woman, your mind would immediately go: Wait, I’ve seen this one before! And yes, Anything For Jackson does have a lot in common with the cult classic Rosemary’s Baby. However, it’s not what you’ve said, it’s how you’ve said it, as they say. And Anything For Jackson twists the common narratives and concepts in the most creative ways making them feel way more entertaining.
And while the payout is good, the build-up is not so good. I feel like we’re rushing from one scene to the next without a strong narrative connecting them. Considering the small budget and my devotion to our almighty lord Satan, I’m willing to forgive these offenses. And when you think just how few creative movies in this genre are these days, Anything For Jackson is a sight for sore eyes. It’s similar to the 2018 hit Hereditary, especially when it comes to the atmosphere. And if we’re focusing just on the setting and characters, Ti West’s moody retro horror The House of The Devil is a better choice.
The stars of Anything For Jackson are its two leads Sheila McCarthy and Julian Richings. Their believable and committed performances added so much quality to the already good script. Konstantina Mantelos was excellent as the woman trying to do everything in her power to stay alive and protect the baby. Finally, I should also mention Josh Cruddas, who looks like someone with a bright future in this genre. To be born without a soul is a good start some might say. Just joking young Sean Harris, it’s all good man.
It’s early in the morning and Audrey reminds her husband Henry that they’ve got work to do. Their plans for retirement have changed completely since a terrible accident happened some time ago. An accident that completely changed their lives. However, they’re not willing to give up so easily. They’re willing to do whatever it takes to get make things right…
Simple but effective, Anything For Jackson is a breath of fresh air in a rather stale occult genre. If I have to sit through another exorcism I’m going to turn into Father Merrin. Although one of the best new occult movies is a Polish masterpiece Hellhole featuring just a bit of an exorcism ritual. I urge you to check it out, as it’s one of the best movies of the last year. At least in my opinion. Moving on, I just wanted to add that Anything For Jackson has a runtime of just under ninety minutes.
Finally, if you’re looking for more movies like this I suggest you check out our Subversive Rabbit selection of Occult Movies worth watching. Out of which, apart from the above-mentioned examples, I highly recommend a rather dark and brooding British movie Kill List.
Director: Justin G. Dyck
Writer: Keith Cooper
Cast: Sheila McCarthy, Julian Richings, Konstantina Mantelos, Josh Cruddas, Yannick Bisson
Fun Facts: Director Justin G. Dyck and writer Keith Cooper work primeraly on Christmans-themed movies. This is their first horror movie and as soon as the production ended both of them went back to shooting more Christmas movies.
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IMDb Link: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12137964/
