Spellbinder

Wuchak

2023-02-24

⭐ 7

**_Timothy Daly and Kelly Preston enjoy a romance and grapple with cultists in SoCal_** A lawyer in Los Angeles (Daly) helps a woman (Preston) abused by a mysterious man. As they develop a relationship, he discovers that there’s a secret group of people who don’t want him to have her. “Spellbinder” (1988) is occult-oriented thriller/horror in the vein of “The City of The Dead” (1960), “The Wicker Man” (1973/2006), “Race With The Devil” (1975) and “Bay Coven” (1987). Thankfully, the story is more compelling than the original “Wicker Man” and “Race With the Devil.” I’d put it on par with “…

"Spellbinder" draws most of its inspiration from the undisputed genre classic "The Wicker Man" (1973) and it manages to add a few extra touches of its own (the satanists making a blood sacrifice). It also draws some additional inspiration from Dennis Wheatley's classic "The Devil Rides Out" (1968) with the satanists relentlessly pursuing Miranda (Kelly Preston) after she has gone missing. However, this film also expertly misleads you throughout until the very end - the police arrive on the scene during the climatic action of the denouement, but not to arrest anyone. No, they are actually here …