‘The Dark Strums’ is written, directed and produced by Steven Alexander Russel who has championed in bringing an old myth to life with a modern addition to the story. The film is immediately charming which is unusual for the horror genre, yet the combination works perfectly. The lakeside setting, 1930’s styled clothes and the captivating chemistry between two lovers are the main contributors to this warming charm. However, when the devil owns your guitar, trouble can never be far away.
Jumping forward into the 21st century, the effects of Robert’s ‘deal’ are still in full swing as Elma (Olivia Griffin), a young musician, purchases the same cursed guitar. This mirrors reality as, aside from soul-selling and devilish deeds, Johnson’s influences on the world music have transcended the ages. Olivia Griffin portrays a talented but uncertain musician with ease and her role reflects some real issues that modern musicians face. In the past, it was religious people worrying about the ungodly origins of new musical genres. But now, in today’s world, Elma represents the struggle to get work, make money and cope with the constant online exposure which is something many musicians might recognise. Elma, however, gets a closer look into musical history than she had bargained for.
“You deserve fame”
From the depths of hell, Robert (Damion Rochester) returns with more enchanting charm to entice a new guitar player to sell their soul. The modern day link to a myth based on selling your soul is interesting when considering the common notion that pop music has now become ‘soulless’ mainly due to corporate involvement. This link may have been intentionally created as a commentary on the modern music industry. The interactions between Rochester and other characters are simply spellbinding as he is strikingly charismatic as well as mysterious. The final scene with Rochester and Griffin is brilliant and brings back a sort of biblical element to the film as Robert suggests Elma deserves power, admiration and fame. This has connotations of the Seven Deadly Sins and rounds the film off nicely in a place similar to where it started. The use of colour grading here is also impressive and adds more intimacy to an already intense scene.
Steven Alexander Rochester has created and executed a brilliant story, built on the foundations of myth. The actors work excellently together in creating chemistry on screen such to the extent that the film could easily be a feature length. Many talents have come together here to produce a wonderfully charming horror film. And it may be worth noting that Olivia Griffin certainly doesn’t need a deal with the devil as her voice and musicality are already awesome!
Watch the trailer below and leave a comment if you enjoyed the review!