Reviewed by Jon Barton

Andres De La Hoz, throughout his career, has made his directorial and artistic intentions very clear. If the manifesto didn't fortify his reputation then his movies and.. 'spirit' on the board certainly have. It's fitting then that no controversy can be mounted from the author of that integral document, for Andres is a very gifted director. Stylistically and morally he manages to pinpoint what directors should be aiming for with seeming ease. But don't expect any anti-Christian bluntness or ridiculous irrelevant humour here. With Satanik, Andres has outdone himself. For the first time, at least in my mind, he has constructed his first very apt, very solidly based picture since DHIADW. Sure his movies have ultimately done the job, even including his lesser works, but this is a movie QT would be proud of. But to my surprise and immense joy, Satanik is much more than that. Full of stylised and highly original grounds for Andres to let his direction run wild, he never lets up on ideas, and Satanik is crammed full of them. This coupled with some absolutely cracking direction, a witty, cunning script and some very concordant, unconvoluted set pieces that serve to tell the story just as often as they do to thrill, makes Satanik a beautiful film, touching, witty, blunt and often very funny, as Jaymond's fantastic delivery and indeed his mix to accompany the end credits suggest.

My insistence to express the movie's brilliance lies not so much with the panache but rather with the story. Andres knows exactly what he's doing and where he's taking the characters, and consequently his complete lack of expository time wasting is something to be admired. Moreso in that you would expect this to serve as a valuable tool when going about such detailed character development. The titular anti-hero is the essence of insanity, never played for laughs and genuinely defining an overwhelming evil you wouldn't think possible. He is right up there with the chill factor of say, Hannibal Lector in that he is a well-spoken monster, but made all the more dangerous for the fact that he is highly intelligent, and the presence of squeeze Dana suggests that he is perfectly capable of emotion. The presence of flashbacks depicting Satanik's history and his macabre ways of further reinforce the character, and in a guilty turn of events you empathise with him at times. Having said that, while the team-up of Satanik and Dana is all very well, the latter suffers for it. We never seem to be on the same wavelength as we are with Satanik and, during a flashback heralding their meeting, the question as to why exactly she became as twisted as her lover is never answered. However, bearing in mind the time we spend with the characters this may plague the audience only a fraction, as Dana is every bit as interesting as Satanik and the viewer finds her motivations just as important as Satanik's.

In a breakout role, Jaymond lavishes the limelight in the title role. As if he was born for the part, he excels in purring the words of the killer, adopting a ludicrous accent that is incredibly fitting for what is there to play with. The fact that his acting is the most interesting in the whole movie also adds to the empathy we feel for the killer, and Jaymond's commitment to his role only helps stengthen these ideas. The Inspector too is a pivotal cog in the character machine, a man repressed of anything other than his ultimate goal to live for justice. The cat and mouse game that ensues between him and Satanik morally demonstrates a perfect contrast between good and evil, reaching a climax that serves to both examine Satanik's motivations and ideals and to rid the inspector of his repressed nature. Justice may be delivered but at what price, the second half of the equation the inspector seems too stubborn to recognise. This contrast is reinforced again with the presence of Nina, Dana's polar opposite and giving us two couples fuelled by love and hate. Morally the film's values lie here demonstrating the difference, and this greatly enriches the story Andres is telling.

What else is clear is that Satanik reeks of multiple genres, which not only sustains the style of the film, but also makes it one of the few to actually engage the audience in the same way as QT has done with Pulp Fiction for example. But Satanik is not merely the thinking man's alternative. In fact to say a bold word Satanik stands alone with similar power, utilising a number of keynote methods in all three acts to deliver a well-rounded if not moreso constructed piece. Stylised flashbacks, well choreographed framing and some superb art direction being a few examples, this is of course excluding the entire premise that supplies the grounds for Satanik's entertainment: the comic book genre. Satanik lends itself to the source material fittingly, from the storyboard style framing to the sound effects. Inner childs and sleepless nights ground Satanik in a world of its own, but what is most admirable is that though Andres has a lot to thank the genre he works with, this is still very much his movie, and his world. The construction, the animation, the overall look and feel of the movie maintains Andres sense of direction well, giving Satanik a very consistent feel. The danger would have been to have made the third and final act darker so that the finale seems stinted or ill-timed, but the world, and Andres' direction remains, leaving the darkness to the characters and the events that follow. A wise move no doubt, it means the events are palpable as far as they can be and at least believable. This is without doubt the wisest path to take especially bearing in mind the mature nature of the film and again, where the film is most powerful. Victims, heists, the narrative surrounding Satanik's ideals all clearly state not to fuck with him, and one wonders at what point does a successful but emotionally sloppy cop get in the way of that. This is the best thing about Satanik: Andres doesn't answer all the questions, and filling them in yourself sometimes makes more sense than to see everything on-screen.

Satanik will stand the test of time not because of the controversy that surrounds the titular character's sickening ways but because of the fact that it is a film that serves to portray the values of Satanik's emotional conclusions about life and the world they inhabit. Not only does that single-handedly serve to give the film's comic book style immense purpose but it also enriches the entirety of the narrative. As his manifesto told directors verbally, Satanik tells directors visually. Matching his words to the screen you know Andres has got a point. If anyone doubts what is written in there then they should be directed immediately to Satanik. possibly one of the finest films of his career and also one of the most brilliant. Even if the themes do give you cause for discomfort, even if you watch it now and find yourself so sickened that you refuse to see it again, you'll admire the craft, and at the very least find it immersive. Not to do so is impossible. Because for once, the story is guided hand in hand, on one hand by the values Andres is illustrating, and on the other the likeable if perverted anti-hero Jaymond has so lovingly adopted. Satanik makes for a totally immersive and compelling experience, and in the long run no-one will criticise Andres for that. It's wonderfully directed, and morally daring in a way no director has ever been. In short, Satanik is cooler than a penguin's picnic.

10/10