Horror Movie Review: The Dark Offerings (2021)

Shot entirely online during the pandemic quarantine period, The Dark Offerings boasts that it is the first ‘100% socially distanced horror movie’. It might very well be, although most will probably think of 2020’s sleeper-hit, Host if asked.

It’s worth mentioning Host because The Dark Offerings follows a very similar formula, albeit with one of the most confusing demonic forces seen in a while. Directed by Marcus Slabine, with a screenplay co-written by Elizabeth Piper S. who also stars in it.

She plays Sophia who has decided to reconnect with some old school friends over an internet video calling program during the pandemic. These are people who she hasn’t seen in years, surprised that she reached out. That being said, if there’s one good thing that came from the lockdown period it is people reconnecting via online tools.

Though Sophia has a darker and more sinister reason to reconnect to these people. You see she has been given a demon. One passed on to her by her brother and that she must pass on to others within six days otherwise they will both die. This demon has adapted to modern technology and the way in which people communicate so works its evil ways through video messaging.

Someone should tell it that Sadako Yamamura was doing that with video tapes in 1998.

Sophia isn’t just outright planning to pass the demon on to her old friends though. She is hoping that she can come up with a way to break the curse but first… here’s half a film of inane banter and characters that are so unlikable, you kind of hope the demon takes them all.

To be fair, that unlikability is an important aspect to the story and in the second half of the movie, things really come to life. The group forced to reveal the kind of people they are and that the bad things they did back in school had consequences. There’s some really meaty stuff to sink your teeth into regarding character arcs. You just have to slog through a lot of nothing to begin with.

Although, to its credit, it’s at least realistic. Think about what you’d do if you met up with someone you used to be friends with but hadn’t spoken to in years. The early parts of your conversation would be light and unobtrusive. As things go on, drinks are had and the atmosphere becomes more relaxed, you would open up more. More so if you were aware that you had a 6-day demon waiting to kill you.

Which brings us to the film’s biggest problem and it’s an important one. The demon is rubbish, isn’t scary and the rules around are just confusing. How do you pass it on? Why does it do ‘bump in the night’ stuff to some at first before violently killing them afterwards? What are the six days about? Why is it still affecting Sophie’s brother if it was passed on to her and why doesn’t she look as bad as him? What happens when you’ve passed it on? Does it just leave?

So many questions that are left unanswered sadly.

Aside from that, The Dark Offerings is a good movie that uses the online video messaging aspect very well. It can be annoying and obnoxious (mainly thanks to one character who thankfully dies first) but thanks to there not being a glut of these movies, it can be forgiven.

It takes a while to get going but when it does, it gets good. Leading to a delightful ending that really makes the investment worthwhile. Look out for a ton of cameos from the likes of Felissa Rose, Shawn C. Phillips, David Howard Thornton and so many more!