Most of us have humble beginnings, even followers of the devil. Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls (2023) is a campy, kooky tribute to the Dark Lord and a wild ride to save your soul. Our director Andrew Bowser also penned this creative script and is front and center as Onyx himself, bringing his story to life with the bizarre cadence and nervous energy of a budding Satanist. Now streaming on Screambox, this tells the story of a misfit with no future in sight, but Onyx is suddenly blessed to meet his Satan worshipping icon amongst a group of likeminded followers. However, when souls are up for grabs and Onyx starts to discover who he was truly meant to be, will he surrender to the demon for all his desires to be fulfilled? Or will he have a change of heart, as those that follow this path fall one by one? The least confident or wise among them will be chosen to rise and challenge the forces of darkness, not merely as Marcus the Patty Slinger, but Onyx the Fortuitous.
Onyx the Fortuitous (Andrew Bowser), also known as Marcus but not preferred, is a fledgling Satanist and a devout follower of the Dark Lord and his earthly master and Satanist guide, Bartok the Great. Having purchased all the books, vinyl and classes his mother will allow, Onyx feels ready to apply for a special demonic ritual which his master is holding for five of his most devoted followers. We see Onyx, his mother and stepfather don’t see eye to eye, possibly ever, and he’s living perhaps his worst life slinging grease at Marty’s Meat Hut. Having to serve bullies that humiliate him publicly and tolerating ridicule from his boss, Onyx hasn’t yet made many waves in the outside world, causing him to quit his job one unbearable evening. He tearfully prays to God, or the devil, whoever might be listening, that they give him a better life than the one he has now, and just as he makes this plea, his computer lights up. A congratulations email has arrived, and it appears Onyx is a winner for the getaway competition.
Onyx will be joining his master and other followers at a retreat where they will try and summon the demon Abaddon. The next day, in front of a beautiful brick red mansion, Onyx and four other dressed-to-kill followers are ready for their ritual, and excited to arrive. While three of the others quickly peel off to explore, Onyx is left with MacKenzie, or Mack (Rivkah Reyes), the first to respect his desire to be called his chosen moniker. The group gets to the front door where a note informs them that talismans made of peridot have been left to cleanse them of negative energies or spirits, and they will have to leave a personal offering of a single item in a box outside to ground their energies to the home.
They discover a corpse upon entry, and a video tape that begins to play on its own: the image of their master Bartok the Great (Jeffrey Combs, in all his greatness) appears on screen. The body is that of Bartok, knife in his chest with no pulse, and the group’s first test is to invoke power and raise the man from the dead. With chants to the sky the group declares “Let him rise!” and the corpse comes to life, Bartok himself now greeting the group. This weekend, Bartok says, is for three rituals: the first two as preparation, the final to bring Abaddon to earth and make them all disciples of the demon, granted knowledge and immortality. Tonight, is for making merry; tomorrow, they begin their journey towards rebirth.
With an over the top music selection from Matt Mahaffey and excellent costumes by Arthur Oliver, this movie has the proper tone and mood for a dark comedy saluting the devil. The group of five worshippers are perfectly interesting with Mack and Mr. Duke (Terrence T.C. Carson) making for some curious troublemakers in search of power and knowledge. You have plenty of characters besides the eccentric Onyx to root for. The cast is devoted to their roles and plays them faithfully, with a sleeper in Olivia Taylor Dudley as the clairvoyant and powerful Farrah, stone faced and all-knowing, as Bowser stays the oddball in the bunch, standing out with his batty mannerisms and newscaster style delivery of his lines. Humor and hellishness go hand in hand here as we see that the joke is on the visitors, with some very powerful (and not so powerful, in Onyx’s case) labels attributed to them and each promised a place in the inner circle, belonging. The theme of temptation and the use of lore from Satanism and other sources such as metaphysical religions (crystals, elixirs, etc.) create an interesting history and ritual to follow other than the back-to-basics God against the devil, Christian backstory.
With campy but effective makeup and practical effects to create splatter and demons of various sorts, the production team drums up a set filled with ghouls and magic as our director leaves us references throughout with favorites from Chucky to Beetlejuice. Friendship and faith are heart-warming themes that pierce the dark veil and bring together people from different walks of life, to navigate a maze of traps and tricks designed to ensnare their souls. If you can handle the initial camp and some of Onyx’s… interesting thoughts and feelings, including a tribute to Meat Loaf’s “I’d Do Anything for Love,” keep the crazy in mind when you boot this up so you’re not surprised when things swap from dreary to droll. With a fortuitous leading man and a cast and crew that achieves campy synergy, Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls is a hell of a good time, more comedy than horror, but delivering surprises, humor and consistent pacing as you race towards a heart and soul stealing conclusion.
Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls (2023) is available on Screambox now.