Succubus: Hell-bent – review

Director: Kim Bass

Release date: 2007

Contains spoilers

There has often been a conflation between vampires and succubae and equally some people who seem to get quite offended if a connection is drawn between them. Although one is a restless corpse and the other a demon type, they serve the same basic archetypal function but, what is more, if the succubus steals life energy (as emotions or sexual energy) then it is acting as an energy vampire.

demonic form

In this there is a clear distinction made, with the succubus, Lilith (Natalie Denise Sperl), dismissing apotropaic devices and slaying techniques as she is a succubus not a vampire. There is also a mention in passing of a daywalker – presumably referring to a vampire. But, whilst it is not spelt out, the film does show the stealing of energy and so we are looking at this as a vampire film for review. Albeit a bit rubbishy.

R.L. Mann as Adam

The film starts with a voice over by Adam (R.L. Mann), our main character (and when it comes to his name, yes… I know…), who says something about some being born first and some being born to be first – and he being both. He is having a flying lesson in a jet fighter along with his father, Wallace (David Keith), and they have a “play” dog fight, which he wins. There had been a bet, which he also wins, and he gets daddy’s jet for the weekend. He and friend Jason (Jayson Blair) head to Mexico for spring break (and essentially on the pull).

Natalie Denise Sperl as Lilith

Now Adam definitely does have daddy issues, as we see, and probably justifiably so as dad is not paternal at all. He had gone to military school but is now (much to dad’s chagrin) at film school. He is also an over-privileged creep – essentially sleeping with as many girls as possible (behind girlfriend Heather’s (Shawna Marie Nelson) back), lying to them and secretly filming them during sex. Jason is just as bad. Anyway he sees one girl – Lilith and gets her back to his room (blowing off another girl to do so) and they end up having sex. She makes him say he loves her and the sex is violent (the violence instigated and meted out by her).

scratched

In the morning he and Jason sneak off. Back in America, Heather becomes annoyed and walks out on him because of the scratches over his body. So he throws a party and is about to have a threesome with two girls when Lilith – who has flown over on her succubus wings – crashes his party, finds him, kicks the girls out and has violent sex with him again – this time we see something that looks like energy transference. Then she vanishes.

Gary Busey as Sentinel

Heather comes back to him, goes for a midnight swim and is killed by Lilith – the cops then think he is the killer (though daddy’s lawyer has him out on bail before he can be taken in to the station). The film then charts her stalking and taking his life apart, killing his friends and making his life a misery. He finds a moment on the film of her in succubus form and calls a hunter he finds on the internet. The hunter, Sentinel (Gary Busey, Frost: Portrait of a Vampire & Mansion of Blood), essentially gives him some advice, some weapons and buggers off to hunt the daywalker I mentioned before – it is little more than a cameo opportunity for Busey. Adam is left to deal with her on his own.

energy feeding

The film screams out TV movie and the main character has little in the way of redeeming features – our only sympathy being that it was probably dad that made him the over-privileged muppet he is. Indeed, the acting is around soap opera level and the effects average. Lilith’s motivation seems to be a dislike of Lotharios and specifically ones who profess love to get what they want (it would seem). The film makes the point that Lilith is the mother of all succubae but we don’t know if this Lilith is the original or a daughter with the same name.

All in all, it’s below average but I have seen worse. 3 out of 10.

The imdb page is here.

On DVD @ Amazon US

On DVD @ Amazon UK