The Day of the Beast

The Day of the Beast (1995)

Genres - Horror, Action, Adventure, Comedy, Music  |   Sub-Genres - Black Comedy, Horror Comedy, Supernatural Horror  |   Release Date - Dec 23, 1998 (USA)  |   Run Time - 100 min.  |   Countries - Spain, Italy  |   MPAA Rating - R
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Review by Jason Buchanan

Continuing to hone his unique combination of surreal black humor and satirical fantasy, Spanish director Alex de la Iglesia refines his talents for both in this interesting tale of a questionably sane but sincere priest's desperate attempt to rid the world of the antichrist. Attempting to get as close to the devil as possible by embracing the chaos of sin and committing a series of repulsive acts (including the purchase of heavy metal albums and the theft of a dying man's wallet), Father Angel serves as the irreverent personification of religious paranoia that has become a sign of the times. Teaming with a cherubic, cheerfully satanic record store owner and the soothsaying host of an occult-themed television program, Father Angel's increasingly desperate attempts to come closer to Old Scratch become ever more delusional. Those hoping for closure and a sense of solid resolve may be disappointed in de la Iglesia's consciously ambiguous ending, which leaves the viewer to decide if Father Angel has completed his mission, or finally gone completely mad.