Succubus (dir. R.J. Daniel Hanna)
By: Adam Freed
Beware of the intense and magnetic power of lust, for its repercussions may root far deeper than one may ever imagine. For Chris, a recently separated young father, his carnal desires take on disastrous implications when he begins exploring “Starcrossed”, an online dating forum not unlike many similar web services. However, for the naive protagonist in Succubus, a biting erotic thriller from writer and Director R.J. Daniel Hanna, a rudimentary understanding of Shakespeare’s famed “starcrossed lovers” would imply that Chris is walking down a pathway to digital disaster. Although Hanna’s film unearths dark lore that dates back to the Middle Ages, its presentation is distinctly rooted in the 21st Century. While the confluence of these two distinctly different eras may become a cause for pause in some audiences, there is an overarching necessity to the themes present in Succubus that make it, at worst, a psychosexual thriller worthy of conversation.
The choice to present a great deal of Succubus via digital screen capture is one that risks alienating a modern audience already inundated with a world of scrolling screens and alerts. There is something very isolating and unattractive about watching a story unfold via digital video call, and yet it strikes as a potent mirror through which society must judge itself. Chris, played with great conviction by Brendan Bradley (The Devil and the Daylong Brothers) connects almost exclusively with his social contacts via video. From a morally ambiguous best friend in Eddie (Derek Smith) who encourages Chris’ sexual pursuits, to his exhausted wife Sharon (Olivia Grace Applegate), audiences take in the bulk of Chris’ at-home existence one close-up video at a time. The monotony of this presentation serves a deliberate purpose however as it leads the young father directly into the tempting digital presence of Adra, an unmistakably alluring young woman smouldering at the idea of intercourse with Chris. If the alarming nature of Adra’s online promiscuity wasn’t enough of a red flag, shortly after Chris’ first conversation with her, he is contacted by the mysterious, and ridiculously named Dr. Orion Zephyr, played straight-faced by Ron Perlman (Hellboy, Nightmare Alley). Perlman’s presence gives a needed boost of credibility to Hanna’s film, a narrative that dances lightly between alluring and absurd.
As Succubus careens perilously towards its climax, the film introduces a welcome wave of new visual intrigue. The first is a world that thankfully exists away from Chris’ laptop and phone screens, a choice that provides Hanna’s thriller with a much needed added dimension of visual storytelling. In addition, Succubus unveils a compelling use of practical effects makeup late in its second act, courtesy of prosthetic makeup designer Tate Steinsiek (Dragged Across Concrete). The appearance of Steinsiek’s creation raises the stakes of the film, and amplifies the gravity of its proceedings. It is very difficult to craft an erotic thriller in the 21st century, an age in which background checks and personal information is readily available prior to any potential in-person meetings taking place. Given the constraints of its aim, R.J. Daniel Hanna has crafted an intriguing psychological exploration of what may happen when a medieval myth intersects with the digital isolationism of the modern age.
Target Score 7/10 - If taken on surface value alone, Succubus risks potentially alienating cynical audiences inundated with digital information. Yet between the lines of R.J. Daniel Hanna’s modern erotic thriller lies a biting commentary on the perils pursuing frivolous lust in an age that has made its availability abundant.