By RICHELLE CHARKOT
Starring Trey Holland, Romina D’Ugo and Keith David
Written and directed by Woody Bess
Raven Banner Entertainment
In a dour office awash in gray, we find our hero, Dunn (Trey Holland), a debt collector on his presumably umpteenth call of the day, being chewed out by yet another person unwilling to pay what they owe. He sighs, accepts another death threat gracefully and wraps up his day by doing laundry at the local laundromat. Without warning, a fiery portal opens inside a dryer. Seemingly unfazed, Dunn points out the obvious to laundry attendant Ed (Romina D’Ugo), who also doesn’t seem to care as she puts a wet floor sign in front of the infernal gateway. Soon after, Dunn meets a demon named Chip (Richard Kind), who says he’s in their world to take his neighbour, Mr. Bobshank (Keith David), to hell. Dunn, intrigued by the idea of vigilante justice, agrees to a deal: three lives to save one.
PORTAL TO HELL takes place in a universe that feels lived in and real but is still stylized in a way that seems almost like a comic book about late-stage capitalism. The performances and cast are also so well suited to this universe. Trey Holland’s largely monotone Dunn is a joy to watch as he lands the humour flawlessly, as is Romina D’Ugo’s equally spaced-out and hilarious Ed. Richard Kind as a demon who feels like he’s on Satan’s B-Team and Keith David as a curmudgeonly cancer patient, elevate the film as well, making it feel like a movie by horror fans for horror fans.
PORTAL TO HELL sets a specific tone in its first few seconds: People scream all sorts of profanities at Dunn on the phone, and his “Great. Thanks. You, too” customer service responses are exactly how the character (and the film) reacts to these outlandish circumstances. The portal opens 3 minutes into the 93-minute movie, and it’s a great sight gag that suggests a no-frills, let’s-get-down-to-business approach. The film is at its best when it’s flippant and deadpan, so when the last half switches gears into more emotionally complex territory and we learn why Dunn is motivated to help Bobshank, it does feel a little out of place. Perhaps director Woody Bess is suggesting this sudden sincerity can be just as irreverent and funny as everything else in the film, or maybe he simply has more to say with these characters than a straightforward comedy could allow. Either way, it doesn’t seem necessary. That said, PORTAL TO HELL never completely loses sight of the comedy, bringing it back around for some truly silly bits. The result is a film that’s singular and relatable.
