In Neill Blomkamp’s latest sci-fi horror, the villains aren’t just the ancient demonic forces murdering everything in sight. They also come in reality’s favorite form: bureaucracy. Carly Pope stars as a woman who reunites with her estranged mother in a medical testing facility where science is keeping her sedated in a simulation. “She went on a homicidal rampage,” a doctor informs her. “This is your chance to ask her why.” Sorry to our moms, she’s better than us. Because once she’s in the simulation, it leads to more questions than answers. Cue spooky montage. “The Vatican has been funding a black ops unit, using priests like soldiers,” the trailer’s demon expert chimes in. “Now that it’s free, it won’t stop coming for you.” Okay, fight these demons, but let’s get those holy-water spray guns locked and loaded. It’s the District 9 and Elysium director’s first feature since 2015’s Chappie, starring Dev Patel, Hugh Jackman, and Sigourney Weaver. Demonic came to him during the pandemic, inspired by films like Paranormal Activity, the South African filmmaker told Entertainment Weekly. Demonic, co-starring Chris William Martin and Nathalie Boltt, will be in theaters and online August 20, you know, if you dare.
