Way of the Wicked (2014)

Nice effects though.

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

It appears creepy little Robbie Mueller (Jake Croker) has telekinetic power and people who want to harm him, tend to die. After being away from his home town for five years he is back in high school creeping everybody out with his knowledge of Drake's Equation, bad hair, and inability to smile. The only thing more creepy is Christian Slater playing a defrocked priest following him around wearing a gold gangsta cross.Robbie has designs for Heather (Emily Tennant) who shows as much emotion as Kristen Stewart. Her father is a small town detective played by Vinnie Jones who is as convincing as when he played Ivan Rudovsky.The film felt like I was listening to someone tell a story who doesn't know how to tell a story.I had "Carrie" flashbacks as well as "The Omen." The small Washington state town with a girl being liked by a guy with special powers had me thinking "Twilight" especially with the low end acting. There is a twist which I admit didn't see coming, because the clues were light and you were dragged heavily in one direction. So think twist, and if you get it before the last 30 minutes, I owe you a Scooby-Snack.The film might have some stoner camp value to it. Not a serious horror/thriller.Parental Guide: F-bomb. No sex or nudity

If you are old enough to remember both "Carrie" and "The Omen", this is the two wrapped into one; even the script writer couldn't resist referencing the latter. That being said, it remains to be seen if this idea is any more plausible than Vinnie Jones playing the detective, his English accent explained away conveniently by his having emigrated with his wife, now deceased.In "The Omen", the father of the Devil's spawn was totally unconvinced by the renegade priest; it was only much later that realisation dawned on him. Here, the detective allows himself to be convinced much more easily, probably because the villain of the piece has his eye on his daughter. Should any detective be quite so gullible? Well, in the UK at present, the police are frantically searching for a mythical paedophile ring at the heart of the establishment, and to date they have turned over the homes of one recently deceased former Home Secretary and our most decorated soldier, who at the age of 91 must be thoroughly bemused. The informant in that case claims that three underage boys have been murdered by this ectoplasmic conspiracy, so what price a humble detective from Hicksville, USA? Having said that, there is a splendid if dishonest twist in the climax, and only the tiniest of hints, easily missed, that it would play out so.

I'm pretty sure you could watch this while you're outside shopping and you'd still get it. Actually since this movie does not think you can think for yourself, it does remind you of the movies "highlights". Anyway, there is not much going for the movie, least of all logic. While the "twist" is as ridiculous as it gets, the people in this movie react to it as if they had no brain.Sometimes that's not a bad thing, but I'm pretty sure you have better things to do with your time. Unless you're a professional movie reviewer there is no reason to watch this. Actually, even if you are, there are other movies to watch than this. You wonder how deep Christian Slater has fallen ...

Religious horror and thriller movies are a dime a dozen these days. Ever since "The Exorcist" hit screens in 1973, the world has been in a state of satanic panic. There's always a constant flow of possession or devil- baby flicks being released in the independent world of horror and touched upon in the mainstream at least once every six months or so. Some of them rise above the standard fare, while others fizzle out and are forgotten. "Way of the Wicked" falls short of being memorable by offering nothing new to audiences.Robbie (Jake Croker) is a disturbed young teen suspected of causing a mysterious death. After five years, he returns to his hometown to start anew. Still pining for the local police detective's (Vinnie Jones) daughter Heather (Emily Tennant), he befriends her and incurs the wrath of the girl's popular schoolmates and suitor. They begin turning up dead as each torments Robbie and bothers his love interest. Can Father Henry (Christian Slater) use the powers of his faith to stop the killings?"Way of the Wicked" plays out like a mashed-up version of "Carrie" and "The Omen." Although the image used to promote the movie screams "The Exorcist," what viewers find inside is a hodge-podge of elements taken from other films featuring teens with telekinetic powers. The only tie to religious thrillers is a prophecy Father Henry is investigating. Upon first viewing, it's vague whether the foretelling is from the Bible or another book associated with it. I doubt anyone would want to view it a second time just to catch whether it's one or the other.The acting in "Way of the Wicked" never comes into question. Both Vinnie Jones and Christian Slater act like they're personally invested in the film. Emily Tennant does a great job emoting as Heather. Jake Croker is absolutely creepy as Robbie. His performance and haunting stare made my skin crawl."Way of the Wicked" is unrated. It features violence, adult situations, and language. Viewers don't have to sit through any unnecessary nude scenes. I can see this airing on the Chiller Channel on a Friday or Saturday night.Even "Way of the Wicked's" attempt at a twist ending ends up falling flat. It just makes the whole thing more of a copycat of past movies much better than this. Even though you don't see it coming and it's well-delivered, you still are left with a sense of déjà vu as the credits roll. I can think of films that are a bigger waste of time, but you'd still be better off re-watching "Carrie," "Firestarter," or "The Omen."