Demon’s Vale (2024)

Charlotte Crumm is Sister Martha, a nun traveling with Father Eric, bound for California by way of the Missouri Ozarks.

They’ve taken shelter from the cold at an inn near Glen Forks when a strange young man barges in, as though fleeing something horrible.

Several gun-toting males follow. A mysterious gunman hops to his feet and lets loose with his six-gun. When the gun smoke clears, the priest is unconscious, the nun and the gunman are the only other two people still alive.

The gunman — Scott Lucas as Owen Hayes — agrees to accompany the nun to her next stop on her travels. Or at least stay with her until the priest regains consciousness.

But he disappears into the night, and the strange occurrences continue when they reach the home of Sister Martha’s brother Martin.

Sister Martin is supposed to take his daughter Carolyn to California for a fresh start. But she’s nowhere to be found either.

When Martin reappears after a three-day absence, Sister Martha quickly recognizes the problem. His soul has been taken over by a demon.

She performs an exorcism, only to reveal that Owen Hayes has a demon riding his body as well. The difference: He’s somehow managed to keep the demon from controlling his actions.

That makes Owen an interesting case study for Martin and his demon colleagues.

But the demons in charge — Durrant and Andras — are much more interested in capturing Carolyn.

They need the sacrifice of her pure, innocent soul to transform a window from hell to earth into a doorway. from hell to earth.

Charlotte Crumm as Sister Martha, letting her hair down for a moment in Demon’s Vale (2024)

Scott Lucas as Owen Hayes, trying to figure out why the town of Glen Fork is deserted in Demon’s Vale (2024)

Review:

The film opens promisingly enough with the frantic shootout at the inn, where the gunman decides even the petrified young man needs to die.

But it’s a long, slow slog from that point on. And if you don’t make it to the special effects at the end, don’t fret. You’re not missing much.

There are problems galore. Too much of the action takes place in poorly lit night scenes. Every word uttered by Charlotte Crumm’s character sounds dubbed and monotone.

And while Cody Cienti might make a fine Martin, it’s hard to take him seriously as a demon.

I did chuckle when Martin proclaims that his sister — the nun — can’t be ridden by a demon. Clever pun, right? That’s probably giving the scripwiters too much credit.

Horror Westerns aren’t uncommon these days. If you want to watch one, I’d recommend recent entries into the subgenre like “Blood in Them Hills” (2025), “Ghost Town” (2023) or “Organ Trail” (2023).

Lauren Irwin as Carolyn, the niece Sister Martha wants to save from the demon’s grip in Demon’s Vale (2024)

Cody Ceinti as Martin, Sister’s Martha’s brother, his body controlled by a demon named Bolmiat in Dem

Directed by:
Zeb Eckles

Cast:
Charlotte Crumm … Martha
Scott Lucas … Owen Hayes
Chris Owen … Father Eric / Hullwar
Cody Ceinti … Martin / Bolmiat
Lauren Irwin … Carolynn
Bruce Robinson … Durrant
Brad Hansen … Andras
Justin Serino … WIld Man
Shorty Eckles … Innkeeper
David Edwards … Wallace
Ray Marcum … The trapper
Zapher Lea … Carson
Ally Conner … Demon girl
Rachelle Simon … Wild woman
Eric Arreola .. The thin man
Dusty Morey … The kicker
Nathan Lea … The gut shot
Tom Lienhardt … The talker

Runtime: 92 min.

Bruce Robinson as a former college professor named Durrant, trying to turn a window into earth into a doorway in Demon’s Vale (2024)

Chris Owen as Father Eric, Sister Martha’s traveling companion, his body overtaken by a rider in Demon’s Vale (2024)

Memorable lines:

Owen Hayes: “You two really with the church?”
Sister Martha: “Excuse me.”
Hayes: “Preacher and a nun. Nice way to travel to be left alone. Little less so out here in the Ozarks. But I guess it’s worth trying.”

Sister Martha: “Are you prone to running?”
Owen Hayes: “Away from trouble? I am.”

Sister Martha: “Do you know what a demon is?”
Owen Hayes: “Like demons from hell?”
Sister Martha: “Yes, though some can live on earth. They can inhabit a person, possess their body, subjugate their mind.”

Durrant, of Sister Martha: “What exactly is she capable of?”
Martin: “I’m not sure. She cannot be ridden. Her will is iron clad. She will not shy away from me. Or any rider.”

Owen Hayes: “I ain’t too keen on your God’s plan here.”
Sister Martha: “The righteous path is rarely the easy one.”

Scott Lucas as Owen Hayes, trying to convince Sister Martha of the need to leave the site of a deadly shootout in Demon’s Vale (2024)

Charlotte Crumm as Sister Martha, proving that yes, she knows how to use a shotgun in Demon’s Vale (2024)

Charlotte Crumm as Sister Martha and Scott Lucas as Owen Hayes, finding the home of Martha’s brother deserted in Demon’s Vale (2024)

Charlotte Crumm as Sister Martha, facing Owen Hayes’ six-gun in Demon’s Vale (2024)