At first glance, Lillith looks like a straight-up horror film from the demonic dimension. Based on the description, I was expecting a serious piece, bound to fade into the background among other films of its kind.

Once the film began, I discovered that this is, in fact, a horror-comedy. That’s a good thing because the comedic moments were its saving grace. The sprinkling of humor throughout this film bumped up the quality of the story and the acting.

Before I get ahead of myself, here’s the premise:

Jenna (Nell Kessler) is a college student who catches her boyfriend, Brad (Michael Finnigan), cheating on her with another woman. Jenna immediately turns to her best friends Emma and Charlie for support, and Emma suggests that she seek revenge by summoning a succubus.

Initially, Jenna turns down the idea, but she soon changes her mind and goes along with the ritual. Once summoned, as you might expect, Lillith arrives and does her job by avenging the pain Brad caused Jenna. But she doesn’t stop there, and soon wreaks havoc upon other students and those that Jenna cares about.

For a lower-budget project, Lillith is well put together in several areas. The story flows well, and there’s no wasted time getting to some action to keep the viewer engaged. The tension builds steadily and leads up to an exciting climax. As mentioned previously, there’s quite a bit of humor in this film, and that is another element that carries the story.

Some of the acting left a bit to be desired, but this was balanced by solid performances from several of the cast. Lillith (Savannah Whitten) is the star of this show and has plenty of wisecracks from the moment she arrives on screen until the end. Charlie (Taylor Turner) is also charming as Jenna’s perpetual friend-zone sidekick. Overall, the acting started shakily and improved as the film progressed.

The special effects are very limited, which was very noticeable early on when Lillith makes her arrival. Later scenes are less cringe-worthy and are a bit fun as we see the character alternate between human and demonic forms at times.

I wouldn’t call this a standout among its peers in the subgenre, but if you’re into teen/college-age horror with a focus on revenge, this might be for you. Some aspects of Lillith are reminiscent of films like Jennifer’s Body (the succubus storyline) and Scream (comedy-laced revenge story). However, I wouldn’t put this film on the same pedestal as those two. I don’t always like to draw comparisons, but those were two films that sprung to mind during the viewing, and I think it’s worth mentioning.

Overall this was like a fun B-rate horror flick, and memorable in its own way. While it contained familiar tropes, I liked that it turned the expected storyline on its head at some points. Lillith definitely gets some points for originality and humor.

6 out of 10