In a small Amish community, six girls are born on the same night: the sixth day of the sixth month (666 – the number of the devil). This sparks fear in the commune that a prophecy may be coming to light that states only one of these girls will survive to experience her 18th birthday and will then become the hand of the devil.
The inhabitants of New Bethlehem treat the girls as outcasts in the community, leading them to find acceptance in each other. The girls spend their time exploring areas prohibited by their religion such as boys, parties and a life outside the commune, leading to Elder Beacon proclaiming their ungodly actions as signs that one of them is the linked to the devil.
As the girls near their 18th birthdays they begin to be killed off one by one by an unknown, hooded, scythe-wielding murderer. As the remaining girls grow suspicious of New Bethlehem’s elders, especially the malicious and controlling Elder Beacon, the community, including the girl’s families, turn against them.
The film plays with the “whodunit?” theme, similar to that of the mysterious hooded, hook-bearing murderer in the film I Know What You Did Last Summer. It leaves us questioning if Elder Beacon is behind the murders to keep hold of his power over the commune through religious fear, or if there truly is a deeper evil.
The premise of the film is one that could have been made into a hit horror/occult film, but unfortunately it falls short. It has its moments of interest and suspense, but disappointingly Director Christian E. Christiansen just doesn’t quite build up the tension enough to create a thrilling, edge-of-your-seat horror film.
Despite the majority of the film only reaching mediocre standards, the ending does provide an impressive and unexpected twist that somewhat redeems it. With multiple optional endings being built upon throughout the film, the twist is not the most obvious, which leads to an enjoyable surprise and a rather impressive final scene.
Although not being the most exciting cult/horror film of late, it does have an interesting premise that ends with an exciting twist.
Reviewed by Georgina Smerd
Twitter: @Georgie_xox
Rating out of 10: 5
The Devil’s Hand will be released on DVD on 13 January 2016.
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