“The Bell Keeper” follows a group of friends who travel to a secluded campsite to film a documentary. What they find is something much more sinister than they could have ever imagined.
Horror has always been one of my favorite genres. When a good filmmaker makes a movie that transcends what has come before and delivers something breathtaking, it is truly a sight to behold. But when a filmmaker borrows every scare tactic, horror trope, and occultist dark magic cliché from every other horror film out there, the movie becomes mind-numbingly dull and unimaginative. Enter “The Bell Keeper.”
When a group of friends set out to make a documentary debunking various horror myths and legends around the country, they have their work cut out for them when they arrive at Lake Bell. According to local legend, if someone rings the bell at midnight, which is supposedly cursed, the bell keeper, Hank (Randy Couture), will appear and kill anybody involved. Naturally, the young filmmakers laugh it off and ring the bell but quickly discover that some urban legends are true.
“The Bell Keeper” starts with an auspicious premise but quickly metamorphoses into another formulaic “Evil Dead” ripoff. Once people turn into demons, the movie doesn’t pay homage to Raimi’s classics; it literally steals every look and sound effect those films delivered all those years ago. Raimi seamlessly blended horror and dark humor in “Evil Dead 2,” but here, director Colton Tran keeps the movie’s overall ambiance serious in tone, so when the demons appear, he tries to create humorous characteristics for them but fails miserably.
Randy Couture is the titular character and a producer on the film, but he is no actor. A 6-time World Champion and Hall of Famer in the sport of Mixed Martial Arts and the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), he began his acting career with a small part in “Cradle 2 the Grave” in 2003. Eventually, he became a regular in “The Expendables” franchise, but they are action movies, so his particular fighting style works perfectly for them, but here, he takes on a role that requires moments of gravitas, and sadly, they do not deliver, and the film suffers as a result. It’s not his fault; some people are cut out to be actors, but while he has appeared in many films as an action star, he would be better suited to that particular line of work.
Director Colton Tran must really love “Stranger Things” because his two protagonists, Liam (Reid Miller), a cross between a young “Stranger Things”’ Charlie Heaton and Edward Furlong, and Brittany (Kathleen Kenny), who closely resembles Sadie Sink, along with her trademark denim overalls, detract from the story because of their physical identicalness. It’s hard to focus on anything within this narrative because you keep expecting the Demogorgon to appear, and believe me, that would have at least elevated this film from the pits of mediocrity.
While the overall production quality is good, everything else deteriorates as soon as the movie begins. Even a cameo from Bonnie Aarons, the actress who plays the titular character in “The Nun” films, is not enough to save the movie. As I stated earlier, the premise is compelling, but it’s the film’s execution or lack thereof, that puts it in a downward spiral with no hopes of resurrection. Aside from our two protagonists, who do their best, the rest of the cast comprises of good-looking but ultimately disposable characters who we are supposed to care about but actually cheer when Hank butchers them. The film leaves the door open for a possible sequel, but here’s hoping it never sees the light of day.
In Theaters and On-Demand Friday, October 13th, and on DVD December 5th
