Somehow, despite its cast full of horror icons The Good Things Devils Do flew completely under my radar. A quick trip to Google for information didn’t turn up much either, so apparently, I wasn’t the only one unaware of its existence. This is a shame, as this is one of the better films I’ve seen recently. Not a classic, but a fun, high energy and high body count romp.

Richard (Bill Oberst Jr., Hunting Grounds, Ayla) is a thief with one last job to pull. One that’s going to take him back to the neighbourhood he grew up in. He and his daughter/partner Mouse (Mary Katherine O’Donnell, Night of the Wild, Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich) are to be joined by Percy (Kane Hodder, Shed of the Dead, To Hell and Back: The Kane Hodder Story). This does not sit well with Richard.

Meanwhile, Melvin (David Rucker III) and his stepdaughter Caroline (Kelley Wilson Robinson, Ted Bundy Had A Son) are taking care of the newest addition to his Museum of the Macabre. It’s the alleged remains of the vampire Masquerade (Veronika Stoykova). Of course, they turn out to be the real thing. It’s Halloween Eve in Transylvania County, and all of their paths are going to cross.

Making his first feature writer/director Jess Norvisgaard doesn’t waste much time getting to the point. We quickly find out Richard has issues with Percy. He’s a psychotic, murderous, incel. I wouldn’t want him near my daughter either. And that’s before he gets some added instructions from his boss. It’s not long before Masquerade is loose and making a meal of Melvin’s wife Louise (Linnea Quigley, Bonehill Road, Death Drop Gorgeous).

If you’re a regular reader of my reviews you can imagine how happy this made me. I’ve been complaining a lot lately about films like The Rental that forget they’re horror films until the last act. The Good Things Devils Do delivers early and often. There’s a high body count with some surprising deaths as Richard and Melvin fight to save their loved ones. Or fight against them after Masquerade turns them.

This is not to say it’s a gorefest, though John Lauterbach (Red Eye, The Evil Inside Her) does get plenty of chances to show off his skills. Of course, there’s the vampire makeup. But there’s biting, stabbing and staking among other acts of violence on display here.

On the downside, The Good Things Devils Do feels a bit disjointed and suffers from plot holes at times. But the film’s pace and frequent bouts of action kept them from being a serious distraction. On the other hand Masquerade’s Evil Dead style taunting got on my nerves after a while.

But they’re minor complaints for an unheralded indie film with a solid cast that delivers a lot more action than a good portion of the films I’ve reviewed lately. And has a solid cast, several of whom give more than just a quick cameo.

The Good Things Devils Do only seems to be available on DVD/Blu Ray and a couple of smaller streaming platforms at the moment. However, it’s released by Gravitas Ventures so I would expect it to turn up elsewhere soon. You can check the film’s Facebook page for more information.

Where to watch The Good Things Devils Do