Daily Movie Rec 10/19/23

Dust Devil (1992)

"There's no good or evil... only spirit and matter. Only movement toward the light... and away from it."

Directed by: Richard Stanley

Cinematography by: Steven Chivers

Country: South Africa/United Kingdom

Genre: Horror/Thriller/Western

Plot:

The fate of a police officer in Namibia tracking an ancient serial-killing demon in human skin intersects with that of a woman who picks up a mysterious hitchhiker after ditching her abusive husband.

Reasons to watch:

Though its anti-colonialist tones fall away in service of more standard genre conventions at the end, Dust Devil whips up a unique blend of African mysticism, surrealism, horror, and neo-Westerns. Stanley's sand-swept atmospherics set the stage for a showdown that feels like the weight of the world rests on its outcome.

Where to watch:

The Criterion Channel