Writing, directing, acting, composing — the Adams family can do it all. Made up of John Adams, Zelda Adams, Lulu Adams and Toby Poser, this foursome of talent has made a name for themselves in the world of independent filmmaking, and for good reason. It’s a miracle that any one film is even made, and it feels nigh impossible to make one without falling victim to outward forces and making creative concessions which are often required just to get a project across the finish line, but the Adamses have found a way to do it quite well by doing it all themselves. Their latest, Where the Devil Roams, is proof positive that hard work and a crisp vision will trump a gigantic budget any day of the week.
Where the Devil Roams follows a trio of carnies (played by John, Zelda, and Toby, all of whom share writing/directing credits) as they fill their time between performances with acts of cold-blooded, Satanic murder. This, uh, unconventional family unit does some truly despicable things, but their love for one another is palpable and, in a lot of ways, aspirational. Being a depression-era story, the general feeling of “we will do anything to survive” is in the air, forming a dark cloud over even the most minor characters. This, of course, doesn’t absolve our protagonists of their deeds, but it does allow for the dynamic depicted in their extracurricular activities to defy its gruesome visage, revealing something sweet and occasionally comic. Add to this the fact that the carnival itself is waning in popularity, and you’ve got an indelible sheen of desperation on every face; on every surface.
These aren’t murders of necessity in the literal sense, but as we learn more about the family’s individual history, the notion of empty cruelty gives way to the conventional wisdom of “hurt people hurt people.” It’s as real-world a notion as any, and it’s compounded by the introduction of one expressly supernatural element: a stolen, cursed item that facilitates the magical healing of grievous bodily injuries. This, of course, can be applied to a carnival act just as well as it can to the art of ritual murder.
The film opens in black and white, evoking the tone of things like Freaks or Nightmare Alley, before shifting into a bleak color pallet that suits the material to a T. Vignette is employed to help set the film in its time-period, which helps pave over the budgetary limitations. A handful of anachronisms undercut the setting, but given the general sense of unease that permeates the film, these almost feel purposeful — meant to place the viewer into discomfort by making the depression-era plight feel tangible. That said, the bulk of period detail is spot on, if a bit too shiny and refined at points. The setting doesn’t quite nail literal verisimilitude, nor should it. Instead it feels lived-in, which is much more important.
The characters are shot in intentionally unflattering ways, compounded by stirring shot composition. Segments that are meant to look like “olde-timey” footage are more convincing than most, and the score (also by the Adamses) mixes a more typical soundscape with contemporary stylings to a deeply unsettling effect.
I’m reminded of some of Larry Fessenden’s early work, where the keen eye of the auteur (or in this case, auteurs) is able to transcend limitations by sheer force of creative will, delivering a film that frequently surprises while sneakily burrowing under the viewer’s skin. And, much like Fessenden, the Adamses stick the landing nicely, employing a thematically resonant, deeply haunting image that I, for one, have been unable to shake.
Where the Devil Roams is not a film for everyone. It’s deliberately paced to the point of being nigh-experimental, and many of its plot developments won’t make sense until you’ve had a chance to sit with them for a while — but who wants a movie that ends the second it’s over? Even so, impatient viewers who can’t tap into its pacing are sure to be, at the very least, unsettled by the film at large. And if this sort of thing is indeed your sort of thing, you’re going to love it.
Directed by Toby Poser, Zelda Adams, John Adams
Written by Toby Poser, Zelda Adams, John Adams
Starring Toby Poser, Zelda Adams, John Adams, Lulu Adams
Not rated, 93 minutes