It seems like the thesis of the new film Succubus is that fatherhood is hard, but tenuous fidelity is even harder. In writer-director R.J. Daniel Hanna’s new cyber-paranormal-religious horror hybrid, we meet a man at a low time and ripe for the picking. Chris (Brendan Bradley) is a newly trial-separated father of a toddler at home doing the dad thing. Left to his own devices and a solid internet connection,  all metaphysical hijinks ensue to yank us down a protracted rabbit hole. What follows is fun, and definitely inventive, but could have played out with a tighter third act and some careful script edits.

The toddlers asleep in his crib upstairs and Chris chats up his insufferable bro-bestie Eddie (Derek Smith) via online chat. Eddie practically bullies Chris, the otherwise well-mannered man, into starting an account on a dating app while on a relationship hiatus. Here Chris just begins noting interest in everyone, casting a wide net in hopes of some fun. Putting the lecherous activities on hold, estranged wife Sharon (Olivia Grace Applegate) touches base to mend fences. Chris feels guilty, but not that guilty. Soon he makes an online connection with the out-of-his-league Adra (Rachel Cook). She’s a mysterious brunette with a bob haircut that is reluctant to show her face. So far, everyone who is not blinded by their libido can discern the obvious concerns. Good guy Chris is lonely, horny, and depressed. Bullseye. Adra begins her online seduction via video chat. Chris initially resists but is far too malleable. What is it that Adra is after? Why is Chris so utterly clueless? What is Dr. Orion Zephyr (Ron Perlman) after with his intermittent cameos in the story?

In a particularly interesting transition, Hanna starts his film in the confines of online communication, texts, and antiseptic screen time. Cleverly so, we are asked to divide our attention between video chats and chat screens. It’s an anxiety-inducing and all too familiar feeling. Attention is divided, and motivations are diluted. At this point, we sort of understand why Chris might give in to the siren call of Adra. Then the film’s scope eases beyond screentime to the real world. This is easily one of the more elegant transitions between found footage and traditional cinematic storytelling that I have seen in a while.

Technique aside, there is a far darker story to tell. The title gives it away, there is a Succubus afoot. Adra wants to seduce the the vanilla Chris and she has a plan. But this film was too long. Period. The story could have benefited from judicious edits and a clipped momentum. Looking back some characters and moments could have been minimized or eliminated. What R.J. Daniel Hanna has conceived is a vibrant and fascinating hybrid of genres and story modalities. But there is too much in the third act that weighs down the momentum.

Bradley‘s Chris holds the film together. If it wasn’t for his gee-golly everyman charm, the story wouldn’t have worked. He’s a dope, but we like him. Cook’s Adra is creepy and sexy in a way that is unnerving. Meanwhile, we have Perlman in the Van Helsing role chasing after his elusive enemy. That’s not to forget the inventive production design by Eric j Peterson that captures everyday life and a hellish spirit world effectively.

There are some really good things in Succubus. The performances are solid, the cyber-paranormal concepts are engaging, and it’s always fun to see Perlman. Most importantly, Hanna has a strong understanding of the world we are intended to see. We just get a little too much of it.