I’m always intrigued by the world of independent horror films. Sometimes you get a low budget surprise like Peter Jackson’s Bad Taste or Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead and sometimes… well, it’s best not to talk about those ones. Most of the time; however, low budget shockers tend to sit squarely in the world of mediocrity, stretching out thin, albeit interesting, stories to feature length running times. That’s certainly the case with Devil’s Harvest, a rather bland horror flick with a couple of nicely shot moments and a few fun plot twists.

Hired by Natasha, a millionaire, to paint something for the local church, Daniel King and his girlfriend arrive in a strange house in a remote coastal town. Weird things start happening as soon as they move in (clocks spin out of control, drawers open on their own) and Daniel starts thinking an affair with Natasha might not be so bad. When the local priest (Shakespearean actor Brian Blessed) starts warning folks that Dagon, the water demon is about to return, things get a tad complicated. After a really drawn out and boring opening that seems to go on and on, Devil’s Harvest starts to have some fun with the haunted house genre, throwing in crazed nightmares, creepy attics, and random ghost appearances. None of this is original, but director James Shanks makes the most out of his low budget for awhile. Alas, the lack of funds starts to show and despite their best attempts the final attack by Dagon is pretty unconvincing. Blue and Green lights flickering on and off and some smoke does not make for a terrifying demonic creature!

Fortunately, the actors give it their best and the performances aren’t too bad, much better than most films like this. In the end, Devil’s Harvest doesn’t elevate itself above its low-budget origins; it’s a nice try, but in the world of horror nice doesn’t cut it.