
The concept of a Sin Eater, a person who consumes the sins of another in order to absolve the latter of guilt, has an interesting historical context that has already been explored in a few films. The more recent entries that I will mention briefly, allow me to expand upon previous points in Sin Eater (2022) and in this short series of films, The Sin Eater (2024). After Andrew van den Houten and James Hennigan conceptualized the character and created Creeping Cruds (2014). Curtis Stokes goes further with Curse of the Sin Eater as Justin Denton’s modern take inhale this film, as he prepares the film for release this month, some 8 years later and fresh from his next project, Sin Eater.
Sin Eater basically discusses the life of Rick Malone (Carter Shimp), a struggling builder unlucky with women and cash living in the outback-collapsed house he used to share with his longtime friend Jeremy (Marcelo Wright, Chicago P.D) in the South Side slums of Chicago. In a flashback scene during the film, Rick wormed a warning about female reproduction and how traumatic it would be and how mothers self-terminate due to shotgun shooting, which he received in his Brooklyn neighborhood three years later, glacially after commencement and barely reaching the work site proved frustrating enough for the foreman, who was about to have his patience sorely tested in inner-city Chicago.
Rick is let inside the worksite by the owner’s assistant Anton who goes to get him a band-aid after Rick cuts himself Rick wants him to be so nice and get him the band-aid, which is detailed nicely in the opening of the book. In a much more detailed description, Rick can’t quite help but sneak a look at the bundle of cash and then gets himself into hot water when he gets spotted while trying to steal them. However, the estate owner stops Anton from pushing Rick out and requests him to approach the table for some casual introductions.
The man’s name is Drayton and he is a wealthy endangered person, Drayton is the honorific title to associate him with Market Drayton from England, a place that reportedly held the last sin-eating ceremony with witnesses as late as 1893.
As Drayton offers Rick yet another opportunity to join him for lunch, he sparkles with riches when he informs him that after his death, Rick will receive everything he has ever owned. There is one limitation he only has to have his mouth stuffed with one meal, and he has to eat it all, ‘every last crumb’, from a plate located on his deceased body. Confused about this peculiar proposition, Rick must think carefully but ultimately resorts to the notion of abandoning all woes and living a life full of luxuries that he never imagined would one day be his.
Shocker. This is a horror flick and so situations change. This offer was expensive. In other words, Rick was able to sell his soul in exchange for the absurd benefits of consuming another human being’s transgressions and their burden.
This film has a couple of things that make it shine among the rest. For one, there is the mileage that Denton gets from what has to have been a restrictively sized budget. He cleverly brought in a band of talented supporting no-name TV actors, and the direction that Denton intended to take his film in, called for some heavy (and pretty gruesome) effects work, most of which were competently done in practical terms. Let’s not forget that shooting on location in downtown Chicago’s public space involves shooting permits ($250 per day per their portal, in case you are wondering).
There is purposefulness in the pacing of this film I imagine the Amazon binge and Blumhouse crowd will find it a little even slow. Some of this can be attributed to the dialogue sparse style it was penned down with, which I think is especially notable given the fact that all of them have TV roots in a land where everyone speaks only in capitals and more often than not, as if their lives depend on it which, professionally speaking, actually might as well be the case. Here, not so much in fact, but rather the opposite on the scale, to my amusement: as Rick goes around his day-to-day life silently, there are zero people running around shouting anything (who would have thought).
Shimp portrays his character as a slack and stoner-type person but mixes enough nuances to the character to make it not boring and lets a hidden fury evolve. He handles the film’s lead role in the performance whilst undertaking and remaining in character, a feat he achieves quite commendably. So does the rest of the cast with what they are given to work with the script, even when their characters are not developed as well as Rick’s.
Sin Eater has some unique visual texture as a film. Exterior shots are hand-held mostly, active, and have cold grey-toned city colors, while the interior has slower pans with reds dominating the color of the scene without being warm or welcoming, rather a cold feeling prevails. As the curse also grips the main character, the curse shows how the setting, shots, and scenes in the film also possess the same feeling. It is the attention to detail that betrays the concern and the knowledge of the genre that went into making Sin Eater.
Search for the curse’s origin consumes Rick as he accepts that he must abandon his inheritance. There’s nothing extraordinary to comment on here as it is a familiar storyline. It is one of the plot lines that is overdone but it is still presented in a manner that entertains the audience thanks in part to some smart acting, focused sound design, and Denton’s dark and moody visuals
Denton does not go excessive with jump scares and at least a few of the scenes approach the creative borderline, see it and you will understand what I mean. If only someone in the boardroom of some large streaming service would learn how ‘less is more’ in relation to films like this, although the title of this film, however appropriate to the theme, is too standard to catch anyone’s attention.
The majority of the people behind the film Curse of the Sin Eater, including the director Justin Denton and all of his cast, can be said to either belong to the TV entertainment industry or the MCU, both placing them out of my reach. Scanning through my viewing options, I somehow came across this film, and for once, I am happy that I did because it stunned me. Curse of the Sin Eater is a developed screenplay that is also well-directed and performed. The film and horror fans will enjoy this little gem which is most of you who are on this site. Regarding Denton, also a great portrayal, and will now pay attention to his future works.
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