Azrael (2024), directed by the mostly unknown E. L. Katz, gives you a glimpse into what happens when a serious attempt at horror accidentally slips into the comedy genre. Starring Samara Weaving as Azrael, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett as Kenan, and Vic Carmen Sonne as Miriam, this movie somehow manages to take itself seriously while looking like a DIY Halloween project gone wrong. The so-called "creatures" that are supposed to terrify the audience? Well, imagine if someone raided a discount latex suit shop and asked the local junkies to help with makeup. That's right, every time these skinny, awkward beings appeared on screen, I couldn't help but burst out laughing. Rather than inspiring fear, they looked like someone's regrettable fetish outfit, slinking around like lost extras from a bad 90s music video. The opening scene, which should set the tone for any good horror movie, instead gave me major "What is happening right now" vibes. The lack of tension or even a vague sense of horror made me wonder if they were intentionally trying to make me laugh. When the creature showed up-well, let's just say it was more likely to inspire chuckles than nightmares. Dialogue in Azrael is like Bigfoot-everyone knows it should exist, but you never quite see it. With minimal communication between the characters, I found myself scratching my head, wondering why anyone was doing anything. The motivations? The stakes? Completely MIA. There's a weird cult involved too, but instead of menacing rituals or cryptic speech, they communicate through whistling and heavy breathing, which again, is more hilarious than scary. At about 45 minutes in, my brain had already checked out. I wasn't emotionally invested in anything, least of all the characters who were probably just as confused as I was. Still, I pressed on because I needed to finish this absurdity to write a review. At the end of its brief 1-hour-and-17-minute runtime, Azrael left me with a lingering sense of... nothing. I didn't hate it-hate would imply I felt something. But I would rate this movie a solid 3 out of 10 for making me laugh when I'm sure it didn't mean to. If you're looking for an accidental comedy, maybe give it a try. Otherwise, spare yourself the confusion and just skip it.

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