BURY THE DEVIL is a supernatural horror movie that plays out in real-time. The story is simple but has a classic horror premise, and the cast is small but full of wonderful actors. Even if you may not know many or any of them. A very efficient and well-made horror movie, so you’ll want to check it out. Read our full Bury the Devil movie review here!
BURY THE DEVIL is a supernatural horror movie with a dementia patient and her hospice nurse at the center. The two are in a huge and very remote house, which we know will end up in flames. That’s the opening scene!
Then we go back 75 minutes and watch how this happened. Already on paper, this is a horror movie that speaks to me. The premise and setting are pure horror, but the plot is what will make it all the more scary. Oh yes, and the real-time element with long unbroken shots, where you never know what’s waiting around the corner.
Continue reading our Bury the Devil movie review below. Find it in select theaters and On Demand from August 21, 2026.
Trying to keep track of a dementia patient
Bury the Devil is, on the surface, a very familiar story of a woman suffering from dementia who doesn’t have long to live. As a result, a live-in hospice nurse has just moved in. We learn the name of the hospice nurse very quickly, as she has to repeat her name. A lot.
The woman with dementia is Evelyn (Dawn Ford), and the nurse is Julia (Emmanuelle Lussier Martinez). Often, however, she will be called Sarah, as this was the name of Evelyn’s daughter. There is a lot of confusion, but Evelyn also has lucid moments, which makes the story even more familiar to those who have known anyone with dementia.
The story begins with Julia getting Evelyn ready for bed. This is no easy task, and she will be helping her back to bed again and again. Evelyn is confused, but also seems very focused on something. Unfortunately, she can’t quite keep her grasp on what that “something” is.
Other people also show up, including Evelyn’s ex-husband, Randall (Bill Rowat), whom Evelyn does recognize. There is a lot of history here. Exactly how their history plays into the Bury the Devil plot is something you need to experience for yourself.
“Who said anything about God?”
The core plot of Bury the Devil is pretty much there in the title; We’re getting a story about a demonic presence in this huge house, where only a dementia-ridden older woman and her hospice nurse are staying. There is an office full of memorabilia from a life marked by both adventure and tragedy.
How this all plays out for our two characters is teased with the line “Who said anything about God?” as Evelyn wants to say her prayers before bed. Julia isn’t very religious and says she hasn’t prayed to God in a long time. This is when Evelyn asks the rhetorical question.
Then comes a very different version of “Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep”, which I recommend you pay close attention to.
You’ll get to know the huge house fairly well. And also understand the nurse’s annoyance with a house so big and full of strange little rooms and weird closets. I feel exhausted just watching Julia once again have to find the wandering Evelyn. Especially as she won’t remember who Julia is, and is ready to fight back.
Watch Bury the Devil in a theater, if you can!
Bury the Devil was directed by Adam O’Brien, who also directed the 2024 horror movie Mom. With this 2026 movie, he is trying something new, and I really like it. I also really liked the storyline, which comes from screenwriters John Petrizzi and Brad Hodson (George’s Intervention). It’s based on an original idea by Adam O’Brien himself.
Overall, Bury the Devil works extremely well thanks to its few characters, the strong core plot and premise, as well as the use of real-time and a continuous shot. It hits hard, and even with the few lulls along the way (brief, but there is some repetition in dealing with a dementia patient), I was on board throughout.
As someone who watched Bury the Devil via a press screener at home and was often terrified, I would’ve loved the experience in a theater. Yes, I know, it’s strange to those who do not like horror movies, but I want to have that “I survived”-feeling when the end credits come. With this one, I definitely did. I can only imagine it would’ve hit me even harder in a dark movie theater, so I recommend watching it there if you have the chance.
Bury the Devil is out in select theaters and On Demand from August 21, 2026.
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Plot
When her dementia patient begins behaving strangely, a nurse suspects things are not what they seem. As the night unfolds, she soon discovers she is trapped with a demonic presence seeping through the cracks of the old home.
Details
Directed by: Adam O’Brien
Written by: John Petrizzi, Brad Hodson
Cast: Dawn Ford, Emmanuelle Lussier Martinez, Bill Rowat
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