Intensity: 🩸 out of 🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸
Written/Directed by F. C. Rabbath
An old friend of The Scariest Things returns with a devilishly new horror-adjacent escapade, The Final Pact! If you’re a fan of religious themes or a good ol’ fashioned Evil v. Good run-in, this may be a movie for you.
The Final Pact: The Players
- Austin Freeman [TV’s Apocalypse Rising: A Zombie Saga (2024)] — Paul, one of a trio of freshly-schooled priests. His troubled past translates to significant doubts about his new profession.
- Charlie Prince [TV’s Bloodline (2015-2017)] — John, another member of the priestly trio. He’s the “cool priest”.
- Sam Sneary [in his debut feature-length role] — Mark, rounding out the trio as the scholarly member of the group.
- Julia Vasi [Zombieland: Double Tap (2019)] — Lucy, troubled daughter or something else?
The Final Pact: Breakdown
Synopsis
Paul, John, and Mark have just graduated as budding new priests. The not-yet-ordained trio gathers for a celebration only to be waylaid by a mother in distress. (Mostly) eager to be of service, the group agrees to help only to find themselves neck deep in the final exam from Hell.
Production
As usual for an F. C. Rabbath project, The Final Pact stands out for its quality workmanship. Lighting, sound, makeup, even the minimal CG effects belie the movie’s modest budget. Rabbath’s got a talent for seemingly stretching the pennies farther than most people and it shows.
Using a variety of locations and a few slick camera tricks, the production crew is able to make The Final Pact feel larger than it is. Great locations, plenty of extras, and effective lighting — especially in the studio-shot scenes — easily sell the idea that our intrepid trio is matching wits with something on a grander scale than just another day in the seminary.
Cast and story
All of the main players in The Final Pact are solid. There are a couple moments that felt a bit forced, but they’re few and far between. The majority of the scenes move right along. And pretty much any scene involving Julia Vasi in particular is a guaranteed winner. Sam Sneary is another one to keep an eye on.
The story borrows heavily from a certain infernal piece of classic literature so it’s not hard to predict how the characters are going to progress. It’s obvious this is by design, but it does take a bit of the fun away. That being said, the central trio sell the progression well and carry the movie forward with ease.
Summary
The Final Pact offers a clever take on becoming a priest. If you don’t mind the predictable — though enjoyable — story line at the heart of the film this is a fun, horror-adjacent ride. Good characters, solid performances, and stellar production values.
No cap.
Review by Robert Zilbauer.