Anthologies have been a loved sub-genre of horror for decades. The allure of getting several terror tales at once has brought in hordes of horror hounds. This spring, director Jimmy Drain delivers an original concept in hopes of bringing the Horror Nation a new format of creepy collection stories which roll into one feature film. With horror icon Tony Todd (Candyman) heading up one of the segments, expectations will be high for Realm of Shadows.
A bartender has a special concoction that helps a man win the affections of an attractive female. A young pregnant woman agrees to make a horrific sacrifice for greater personal glory. Failing her course, a college student seduces a professor with a checkered past. These are just a few of the binding sinister stories that lead to an unholy confrontation between good and evil.
Jimmy Drain takes the audience on a dark journey that delves into the deep desires of the human psyche. Drain also performs admirably in several of the shorts, building empathy as he navigates his way through the darkness. Vida Ghaffari counters the light with a strong showing as the head of a coven that has their eyes on world domination. Tony Todd appears in the last segment, bringing professional passion to wrap up the saga. Realm of Shadows strengths are also its weaknesses. Though each terror tale is an original journey into the depravity of desire, the plot becomes jumbled and hard to follow at times. Drain does do a good job in bringing the plot full circle at the end, leaving room for more journeys into the shadows.
Scream Score: 7.6/10
(Realm of Shadows is now streaming on Tubi)