From Within

A competent if unremarkable low-budgeter.

Hard-core horror hounds may be disappointed, but those with a taste for more traditional horror will find a few enjoyable moments...

Phedon Papamichael's third foray into directing is little more than another hackneyed horror film.

**_The wages of sin is..._** **Death.** That blurb makes perfect sense once you see the film. "From Within" (2008) tells the story of a Maryland town plagued by a series of apparent suicides. Those from the town's prominent church attribute the problem to witchcraft and zero-in on the Wiccan son of a witch who literally burned to death several years earlier (written off as an accident). A Christian girl, Lindsay, takes compassion on the Wiccan dude, Aiden, and tries to understand him and what's really going on. Meanwhile people keep dying. Is this somehow retribution by the Wiccans? A small group of the Christians pull out the guns, led by Dylan, the pastor's son and Lindsay's boyfriend. If you're interested in seeing a typical slasher flick, "From Within" probably won't appeal to you, but if you're in the mood for a serious chiller with an original concept and thought-provoking material this is the film to see, particularly if you're interested in belief systems, psychology, spirituality and questions of morality. Some might criticize the film as anti-Christian but this is a superficial and knee-jerk reaction. The story's main protagonist, Lindsay, is shown in a completely positive light and most of the other Christians reveal positive and negative qualities. Is this anti-Christian or simply the way it is? Besides, the film clearly shows the negative sides of the Wiccans…