Review | The Waking Nightmares of Southeast Louisiana

Dear Moviegoers,

When it comes to independent cinema in Hollywood South, what comes to my mind first are features and shorts that are either magically whimsical or down and gritty--there's very little room in between, but it's usually filled with Mardi Gras documentaries. These are all films of skill and quality (usually), but in a region that's got more to say than just "who dat," my expectations only rise with every offbeat local flick that I thankfully screen or stream.

After the Devil is Dead is from filmmaker and analog horror YouTuber Paul Catalanotto of Tangipahoa Parish (Northshore New Orleans). His video channel, Vintage Eight, involves plenty of creepy video series and movies, mostly around topics of trauma and collective tragedy. With his latest, a brutal mind-sweeper of true crime and humid mystery, it's no wonder that Paul would venture into real horror.

The film follows a regional sports shop owner, the unassuming but effortlessly kind Michael Lester, whose family has troves of pain to absolve itself of. He and his siblings were the victims of an abusive father, a former officer on the New Orleans beat known for corrupt behavior. After the Devil is Dead's bulk is about living under this man's thumb and standing before his striking fists, as he punishes children out of control and likely for his own guilt. He's a typical POS (piece of...something) with an atypical history behind him. There's not just danger in sharing a home with him; there are nightmares, too.

The movie is about the long-standing unsolved murder of his wife, Michael's mother. It was a tale told in whispers, the kind where whispers become an unspoken truth. More than likely, his father was involved, but do things go only that deep? Family secrets, drugs, dirty money, and the mob all factor into this sordid and awful thread that strings along from a monster too true to be reel - and a documentary that's too terrifying to be real.

But it's all real. A real horror.

Moments happen early on that harken to Catalanotto's analog videos, like the use of stock footage and props, blending design into document. There was genuine concern that such decisions would result in an exploitative feel, but everything fits into place and only heightens the fact that this is a waking nightmare. An adrenaline shot to the heart that turns minutes into lifetimes. For days, I was haunted by my viewing, with my thoughts asking, "What stories are left lurking under the fun veneer of Southeast Louisiana?"

Plenty.

Yet, for all of the inescapable human trials that the film puts forth, After the Devil is Dead gives comfort in that people like Michael Lester are around. Good people who seek the truth and find honesty in themselves. Who loves more than hates. Who can't help but be curious enough to air out laundry and let wounds heal. Who don't find strength, but wield the kind they already have.

This was a difficult movie to watch, so view with caution. 5/5

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Sincerely Yours in Moviegoing,

⚜️🍿