DaemonRunner (Australia - 2017) is the title of the short fantasy-horror film directed by Kiah Roache-Turner, the director of the remarkable zombie movie Wirmwood - Road of the Dead (2014). Presented as a mix between "Ghostbusters and Matrix", this short film has the merit of encapsulating, in just four minutes and forty seconds in length, a small horror universe populated by monsters, demons and the possessed.
DaemonRunner is the winner of the "Best Short Film" and "Best Special Effects" categories at The Optical Theatre Film Festival 2017.
The film features a group of demon hunters (sort of like exorcists) grappling with a possessed girl. To save her and to send the invading demon back to hell, they will lead her to their base where they will use state-of-the-art killer technology on her.
Enchanting the viewer above all are the extraordinary and enchanting special effects created by Nick Nicolaou, Paul Katte and Lisa Cotterill.
The FX specials in fact successfully adorn an interesting possession situation, highlighting the more splatter and horror moments present in DaemonRunner.
Brilliant "exorcism" moment handled by the demon hunters and welcome tributes to The Demon (1963) and thus also to The Exorcist (1973) for its depiction of the always disturbing spider walk.
This is a well-packaged short film that captures attention from the outset and would undoubtedly deserve a feature-length adaptation.
The screenplay of DaemonRunner is by Kiah Roache-Turner in collaboration with Tristan Roache-Turner.
The cast of the film includes Catherine Terracini, Nandalie Campbell Killick, Alex Jewson, Carmel Rose and Cain Thompson.
