DEMON HUNTER *** U.S.A./Ireland 2016 Dir: Zoe Kavanagh 85 mins
After Taryn’s sister Annabelle is kidnapped and later killed by Falstaff and his minions, Taryn vows revenge and becomes a demon hunter armed with a samurai sword. Its a simple storyline of revenge and vindication that is well conceived. Taryn is like the Irish Buffy but instead of staking vampires she is taking demons heads off with attitude.
When it comes to the moment Taryn will do her final battle against the demon hordes we get to see the classic weapon montage as seen in so many action films. Taryn is played with emotion and ferocity by Niamh Hogan, a fairly new actress but here she shows she has a range which will hopefully see her get more work. Really good soundtrack to this film also which has a techno/retro feel to it which works constantly with what is happening on screen and never feels out of place. This is Zoe Kavanagh’s directorial debut on a feature film which she also co-wrote. Though some of the characters in this film needed more depth, Kavanagh has clearly got a talent for writing a compelling lead character. If you need something to fill that void that Buffy left or perhaps the latest entry to the Underworld franchise left you underwhelmed check out DEMON HUNTER.
Review by Peter ‘Witchfinder‘ Hopkins
