The Djinn – Film Review

Directors David Charbonier, Justin Powell
Writers David Charbonier, Justin Powell
Stars Ezra Dewey, Rob Brownstein, Tevy Poe

A young mute boy, Ezra Dewey (Dylan Jacobs), and his father move into a new apartment. The previous resident of the apartment was an old man and there are still some remnants of his left behind. In one closet, Ezra finds the mysterious Book of Shadows, a book that tells of witchcraft and sorcery. One page tells of a Djinn who can offer anyone who summons him a wish, but as these things normally play out, the wish comes at a cost!

This is a new horror film written and directed by David Charbonier and Justin Powell. The pair have worked together previously and released ‘The Boy Behind the Door’ last year, along with a couple of short films before that. Lead actor Dylan Jacobs also starred in ‘The Boy Behind the Door’ so there was some familiarity in the cast also!

The film is set in the 80s with an assortment of music and technology from the period.  You can tell the directors are fans of John Carpenter’s work and this could easily be a lost entry in his collection. The most unusual thing about the film is the complete lack of a backstory. It gets straight down to business, with the demon summoned early on and the rest of the film spent with the spirit (in various forms) chasing the teenager around the small apartment! There are moments of CGI but the majority of it is back to basics scary make-up and jump scares. At a mere 82 minutes long, it feels like an extended episode of the Twilight Zone episode rather than a feature but there is something about the intensity of the focus, along with the performance of the young star, that makes it more memorable than the tiny budget would suggest.