Review #1,119: 'Deadly Blessing' (1981)

Like many others of my generation, I first encountered the work of Wes Craven with Scream (1996), which went on to influence a whole new wave of teen slasher movies that everybody thought they had seen die off in the early 90's. Shortly after, I watched A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), and realised just how influential the horror giant was across his lucrative career. Of course, he was making his mark even before this with the notorious The Last House on the Left (1972), a film inspired by Ingmar Bergman that remains shocking even to this day. With Craven's passing just over a year ago, I've been busy rounding up all of those forgotten minor works, and Deadly Blessing, made in between TV movie Stranger in Our House (1978) and Swamp Thing (1982), is one of his oddest.

On a remote farm named 'Our Blessing', couple Martha (Maren Jensen) and Jim Schmidt (Douglas Barr) live amongst a rural religious community known as the 'Hiddites'. The Hiddites are similar to the Amish in that they keep to themselves and reject modern technology. Some of the Hiddite youngsters, including the dim-witted William (The Hills Have Eyes' Michael Berryman), are fascinated with the Schmidt's tractor. When Jim, an ex-Hiddite and son of sect leader Isaiah (Ernest Borgnine), is killed in a suspicious incident in the barn, Martha's friends Lana (Sharon Stone) and Vicky (Susan Buckner) join her for company, but more deaths and strange incidents soon occur. Is it the work of the 'Incubus', the demon feared by Isaiah and his followers, or is there a deranged killer on the loose?

Deadly Blessing represents Craven's awkward transition from grimy shockers such as Last House and The Hills Have Eyes (1977) to the more mainstream fare he had such great success with following Elm Street. The film's main issue is that there are too many characters, sub-plots and ideas flying around to form a coherent piece. It never seems to settle on a tone, whether it be all-out supernatural, grounded and dramatic, or giallo-esque. However, the messy style of the movie at least makes for a more interesting movie that it would have been if played completely straight. There are a few nice set-pieces, including the infamous spider-in-the-mouth moment, and some fun performances, including an early role for a gorgeous Sharon Stone and an over-the-top Ernest Borgnine, the latter harshly 'winning' a Razzie for his efforts. Certainly a minor work in Craven's repertoire, but recommended to anyone with a weakness for barmy genre movies.


Directed by: Wes Craven
Starring: Maren Jensen, Sharon Stone, Susan Buckner, Jeff East, Douglas Barr, Ernest Borgnine
Country: USA

Rating: ***

Tom Gillespie