From start to finish, Mask of the Devil is a goofy movie that never seems to define its purpose. At the beginning, it takes a certain seriousness when showing the backstory of the mask and the risks it presents with certain cultural appropriation in another lapse of time. After the title credits, what seemed to look like a hunter-inspired movie turns into a present-time pseudo-comedy— the dialogue loses maturity with shaky lines taken out of a basic script writing manual. The strange thing about this transition is it never bothers to show any intention to take itself seriously, which turns the product into a species of satire that could be annoying for some, but it can’t be denied there are small details (very little, indeed) that helps to not completely lose its stability. By the end of the second act, the tone of the comedy shifts to dark absurdity, and the genre changes to slasher.

Mary (Nicole Katherine Riddell) finds the opportunity to free herself from her tyrant/scolding father by accepting a job shooting an adult movie that will give her a chance to find her own flat. Unfortunately for her, her first day on the job will turn into a nightmare that could take her from XXX to RIP in a matter of seconds, as the production crew has acquired a cursed ancient mask in search of a host and blood to spill.

The characters are a group of simplistic peeps that neither add nor detract from the final product. When a character doesn’t have a developed backstory, which can even be made from small details to form a base to later stretch substantially, it becomes an easy task to interpret because there is freewill to do it whichever way by the cast member— this settles a tedious atmosphere to unfold the plot because things never seem to fit. None of the character have big traits to make them stand out beyond a stereotype, a nickname given through adjectives or an insult.

The initial problem with Mask of the Devil is it has been designed for a very specific audience which could identify with this film, and it is possible for it to find a home B-Movie setting fans. It’s not a bad movie, but it isn’t a good one, either. I wanted to like this one because the plot idea is quirky and stupid, it could work under a detailed development, instead of a rushed environment that makes it look like another pandemic movie filmed out of boredom.

5 OUT OF 10 RELICS