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This article is rated PG-13, meaning it contains content that may be inappropriate for readers under the age of 13. |
Dark Curse is a 2017 American supernatural horror film written and directed by Kevin Williamson. The story follows a group of college students—Olivia (played by Mikey Madison), Beth (played by Bailee Madison), Nick (played by Jabari Banks), Penny (played by Joey King), Lucas (played by Chandler Riggs), Liv (played by Camren Bicondova), and Travis (played by Ethan Cutkosky)—who become the victims of a supernatural curse after a sadistic ghost named Silvius (played by Matthew Lillard) escaped from a in universe horror film into the real world on Halloween, As they grapple with terrifying paranormal events, the group must decipher the secrets behind Silvius' curse, uncovering clues to break it before it claims their lives. The film combines classic supernatural horror with satirical commentary, exploring and subverting common horror cliches while keeping audiences on edge.
The film was released theatrically on October 31 2017 by Universal Pictures to generally positive reviews for it's subversion of horror tropes blend of horror and humor tone acting slick presentation and direction the success of the film launched a media franchise with the film's first sequel Dark Curse: Resurrection being released on October 14 2019
Plot[]
On Halloween and in the fictional town of Ravenwood California a girl Quin goes with her friends Olivia Beth Nick Penny Lucas Liv and Travis to see a new horror movie called ''Phantom'' they come out of the theater generally dissatisfied as it was mediocre and generic horror movie filled with cheap jump scares however on her way home Quin is killed by Silvius via smashed by a falling chandelier after that they proceed to go to their college campus where students are talking about the movie and mourning Quin however than a ghost Silvius who is the main antagonist of the in universe movie has escaped from the in universe horror film into the real world he takes a interest in them and proceeds to curse them. The ghost begins haunting them and killing them off one by one.
The characters’ awareness of horror tropes becomes both an advantage and a curse. They recognize familiar patterns but quickly realize that their attempts to outsmart Silvius using these tactics are futile. As the haunting intensifies, the friends discover cryptic clues within the movie that reveal how to potentially banish the ghost. The group encounters increasingly violent and supernatural events.
Ultimately, they uncover that Silvius was created as the main antagonist of the in universe horror film only for one of the directors of the in universe movie Michael Key to go crazy and try to summon Silvius out of the movie into the real world surprisingly it worked and he came out and teamed up with Michael Key to start brutally murdering the rest of the cast and crew however than Silvius backstabbed Michael and killed him as betrayal for his own amusement than an old lady named Willis ended the bloodshed by doing a ritual that trapped Silvius back into the movie however than a loonatic fan unleashed him into the real world again. This revelation forms the climax, where they attempt a final ritual to end the curse. However, in a twist of metafictional horror, the film concludes ambiguously, leaving it uncertain if Silvius has truly been defeated or simply moved onto new victims.
Synopsis[]
Kevin Williamson (Scream I Know What You Did Last Summer and The Vampire Diaries) and Blumhouse Productions (Get Out The Purge and Split) produce this funny subversive and creepy supernatural thriller in which 7 college students Olivia Beth Nick Penny Lucas Liv and Travis. get cursed by a ghost named ''Silvius'' who escaped from a in universe horror film into the real world now only these teens can find a way to stop the ghost in this semi-satire all scares film
-Universal Pictures
Cast[]
- Mikey Madison as Olivia
- Bailee Madison as Beth
- Jabari Banks as Nick
- Joey King as Penny
- Chandler Riggs as Lucas
- Camren Bicondova as Liv
- Ethan Cutkosky as Travis
- Matthew Lillard as Silvius the Ghost
Production[]
The idea for Dark Curse began in 2011 when Kevin Williamson, known for blending horror with satire and metahumor in projects like Scream, developed the concept of a supernatural entity that escapes from an in-universe horror film to terrorize its viewers. Williamson initially pitched the script to Screen Gems, but the studio ultimately rejected it, citing the unique blend of horror and metafiction as too experimental.
Williamson continued to pitch the project to several major studios, including Paramount Pictures, Lionsgate, and New Line Cinema, but met with similar responses. Eventually, he turned to Jason Blum, known for his work on the Paranormal Activity Insidious and The Purge, franchises and his ability to greenlight unique horror films under his Blumhouse Productions banner. Blum was intrigued by Williamson’s vision and encouraged him to develop the story further, ultimately partnering with Universal Pictures, who initially rejected the concept but later agreed to distribute it after recognizing its potential.
Writing[]
The screenplay for Dark Curse was written entirely by Kevin Williamson, who aimed to give the project a more personal and passionate feel, similar to his previous work on Scream (1996). While Scream served as a genre deconstruction of slasher tropes, Dark Curse takes a similar approach to supernatural horror, reflecting Williamson’s observation that the genre has become dominated by supernatural themes in recent years.
Williamson intentionally minimized jump scares, focusing instead on subversive, character-driven horror to create a more layered experience. He also infused a touch of dark comedy, reminiscent of Scream, to balance the film's tone and provide levity amidst the scares. The characters in Dark Curse are designed to be aware of horror clichés, offering commentary on the genre while facing genuine supernatural threats.
For the main antagonist, Silvius, Williamson wanted a ghost that differed from typical horror archetypes. Unlike the usual vengeful spirits, Silvius is portrayed as a cold-blooded, sadistic entity who kills purely for enjoyment. He also crafted a unique backstory and design for Silvius, setting him apart from other cinematic ghosts. Through Dark Curse, Williamson offers a critique of modern horror, specifically targeting the trend of overusing jump scares in place of solid storytelling and innovative character development.
Development[]
Dark Curse was first conceived by Kevin Williamson in 2011. Initially, Williamson pitched the concept to Sony Pictures’ Screen Gems label, but the studio ultimately rejected it. Determined to bring the project to life, he approached other studios before finally securing interest from Blumhouse Productions, with Universal Pictures later joining as the distributor.
The script went through several revisions over the years. Originally, the film was intended to conclude with a happy ending, where the entire group defeats Silvius permanently. However, Williamson decided to shift to a more bittersweet finale: only Olivia, Beth, and Nick survive, successfully stopping Silvius but at the cost of losing their friends. The ending emphasizes that Silvius, as a supernatural entity, can never truly die and could potentially return.
In earlier drafts, the story featured more deaths among the group’s friends, sparing the main characters. Over time, however, the script evolved to include more tragic fates within the central group itself, with only Olivia, Beth, and Nick ultimately surviving. Although Dark Curse was originally intended to be PG-13, several intense scenes pushed the film toward an R rating. As a result, the team made edits, trimming or altering scenes to achieve the desired PG-13 rating while maintaining the film's chilling atmosphere.
Casting[]
Dark Curse uniquely features actual teenagers portraying the group of young protagonists, a choice that director Kevin Williamson believed would enhance the film’s authenticity and make the characters more relatable to the audience. Casting age-appropriate actors helped to capture the genuine experiences and emotions of teenagers facing supernatural horrors, avoiding the common practice of casting older actors to play high school or college-age characters. Williamson felt that this approach would lend a sense of realism and vulnerability to the story, as viewers could see themselves in the characters more easily.
In a standout role, Matthew Lillard stars as the film’s main antagonist, the ghostly entity Silvius. Lillard’s portrayal of Silvius marks a reunion with Williamson, as the two previously collaborated on Scream (1996), where Lillard played the iconic character Stu Macher, one of the original killers. Williamson expressed excitement about working with Lillard again, noting that his ability to blend dark humor with menace brought depth to Silvius, making him both chilling and unforgettable. Lillard’s unique interpretation gave Silvius a sadistic yet charismatic personality, distinguishing him from other horror movie ghosts and adding to the film’s satirical critique of genre clichés.
This casting choice not only served as an homage to Scream but also underscored Dark Curse’s commitment to blending horror with meta-commentary, bringing an experienced horror actor into a role that required both gravitas and a touch of dark wit.
Filming[]
Production for Dark Curse officially resumed in 2015, with principal photography beginning on August 12 of that year. Director Kevin Williamson chose San Francisco as the primary filming location, aiming to infuse the movie with a distinct "city style" aesthetic that would lend a modern, urban feel to the supernatural horror story. The city’s diverse architecture and atmospheric landscapes provided an ideal backdrop, enhancing the film's eerie tone and adding visual depth to the characters' encounters with the ghostly antagonist, Silvius.
Filming concluded on April 17, 2017, after nearly two years of meticulous shooting. The extended timeline allowed for multiple location setups and ensured that every detail aligned with Williamson’s vision. During post-production, however, Dark Curse encountered challenges with the Motion Picture Association (MPAA). The initial cut of the film was rated R due to its intense and graphic scenes, which were considered "too violent" for the intended PG-13 rating. In response, the production team conducted additional shoots and reshoots to adjust specific scenes, carefully trimming or altering moments that pushed the boundaries of PG-13. The goal was to retain the suspense and horror elements without excessive gore, allowing the film to reach a wider teenage and young adult audience.
These post-production efforts also involved fine-tuning the film’s special effects to heighten the supernatural elements in a way that felt impactful yet within PG-13 standards. The editing team worked closely with Williamson to balance the horror and humor, maintaining the film's edge while adhering to MPAA guidelines. Ultimately, the adjustments helped shape Dark Curse into a refined version of Williamson's original vision, ready for its Halloween release in 2017.
Visual Effects[]
The film’s primary antagonist, Silvius, was brought to life through an intricate combination of practical effects and CGI, blending physical craftsmanship with digital enhancements to create a uniquely unsettling presence. Director Kevin Williamson wanted Silvius to stand out visually, avoiding typical ghostly tropes by giving him a tactile, haunting appearance that felt both real and supernatural.
Silvius’s physical form was achieved with a meticulously crafted costume, designed to give the character a decayed, otherworldly look that was grounded in reality. The costume was augmented by complex makeup applications, including prosthetics to alter facial features and enhance Silvius’s sinister expression. This practical component of Silvius’s design was created by Legacy Effects, a renowned special effects studio known for their work on creating memorable and detailed physical effects in genre films. The Legacy team collaborated closely with Williamson to develop a look that would evoke fear while still allowing for expressive movement and interaction with the cast.
To further enhance Silvius’s supernatural qualities, WETA Digital was brought on to handle the CGI elements. WETA used digital effects to accentuate certain aspects of Silvius’s appearance, such as his ghostly aura, his flickering form, and his eyes, which occasionally flash with an unnatural glow. This careful layering of CGI onto the practical costume and makeup gave Silvius a uniquely disturbing effect, making him appear as though he were slipping between the real world and an ethereal, haunted realm.
The collaboration between Legacy Effects and WETA Digital allowed for a seamless integration of practical and digital techniques, creating a memorable antagonist who felt both grounded and otherworldly. This blend of effects contributed to Silvius's unsettling presence on screen, aligning with Williamson’s vision of a horror villain who defies traditional ghost stereotypes. The result was a character that audiences found both terrifying and visually striking, enhancing the film’s overall impact.
Release[]
Marketing[]
The teaser poster for the film was unveiled at Comic-Con in June 2017. As part of the marketing campaign, Universal Pictures and Blumhouse Productions employed several viral techniques to generate buzz. One notable prank involved theater patrons walking past posters for the film. As they did, an actor dressed as Silvius would suddenly burst through the poster, delivering a surprise jump scare.
Additionally, Dark Curse was promoted through a special attraction at Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights, called "The Blumhouse of Horrors." The attraction featured characters from the movie, including Silvius, immersing visitors in scenes inspired by the film to build excitement and anticipation for its release.
Theatrical[]
The film premiered at the Fantastic Fest festivals on September 28, 2017, before its wide theatrical release on October 31, 2017, by Universal Pictures. In addition, Fandango offered pre-sale tickets, and the film debuted earlier in select countries, including Australia and the United Kingdom. Dark Curse became a box office success, grossing $292.1 million against a modest $9 million budget. It also saw several theatrical re-releases and was one of the highest-grossing October releases of 2017.
Home media[]
The film was released on Digital HD on January 5, 2018, and on DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K Ultra HD on January 20, 2018, by Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. This home release included both the PG-13-rated theatrical edition and an unrated edition. The unrated version featured more intense violence, stronger language, additional deleted scenes, and new footage that further developed the plot. The unrated cut runs at 199 minutes, significantly longer than the 111-minute theatrical version. Special features also included an audio commentary by the cast and director Kevin Williamson.
Reception[]
Box Office[]
Dark Curse grossed $132.3 million in the United States and Canada and $156.9 million in other territories, resulting in a worldwide total of $292.1 million. The film was released alongside fellow Blumhouse production Happy Death Day, and Thank You for Your Service, and others, with initial expectations of grossing between $80 million and $90 million from 3,130 theaters. It earned $9 million from Friday night previews at 2,450 theaters and $11.6 million on its opening day, against a production budget of $9 million, prompting an increase in weekend projections to $30 million.
Dark Curse went on to debut with $30 million, topping the box office and becoming the fourth Blumhouse production of 2017 to achieve this milestone, following Happy Death Day, Get Out, and Split. After factoring in prints and advertising (P&A), talent participation, and other costs against box office grosses and ancillary revenues from home media, the film placed sixth on their list of 2017's "Most Valuable Blockbusters."
Critical Reception[]
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 87% of 162 critic reviews were positive, while the audience score stood at 90%, with an average rating of 8/10. The website's consensus reads: "Dark Curse, from the minds behind Scream, gleefully blends sarcastic meta humor with genuine scares while never leaning too heavily on either in this subversive teen horror experience." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 79 out of 100 based on 36 critics, indicating that the results were "generally positive." Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a grade of A on an A+ to F scale.
Critics praised the film for blending self-aware humor with authentic scares without feeling overly campy or inconsistent in tone. Many compared it to Kevin Williamson's other horror film, Scream (1996), citing similarities in tone and its deconstruction of horror tropes. Some described Dark Curse as "the supernatural version of Scream." Additionally, while the film satirizes horror conventions, it never devolves into outright comedy, as seen in films like Scary Movie; instead, it maintains its status as a genuine horror film despite its satirical elements.
Other Media[]
Dark Curse has inspired several comic adaptations by Blumhouse Books, including Dark Curse: The Silver Tale of Paranormal Scares and Dark Curse: The Glide from the Big Screen to Real Life, among others.
Additionally, a television series titled Dark Curse: Bloodlines was released by Blumhouse Television and Universal Content Productions. The series premiered on October 13, 2024, as a Peacock original series.
Sequels[]
The film has two sequels: Dark Curse: Resurrection (2019) and Dark Curse: Legacy (2022). Dark Curse: Resurrection follows Liv, Beth, and Nick as Silvius returns to claim more victims. In Dark Curse: Legacy, Liv, Beth, and Nick are now actors, and their film becomes cursed by Silvius.
Legacy[]
Dark Curse has remained a popular horror film and received positive reviews, largely due to its subversion of horror tropes to tell a contemporary story, as well as its blend of horror and humor. Many have described it as "the modern-day counterpart of Scream," which is fitting given that both films are by Kevin Williamson. The success of Dark Curse has launched a franchise that includes sequels, comics, and an upcoming television series.
Parental Guidance[]
Classification[]
- Argentina: 16
- Australia: M
- Australia: MA15+ (extended version)
- Austria: 14
- Brazil: 14
- Canada: 14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario)
- Canada: 13+ (Quebec)
- Chile: 14
- Colombia: 15
- Czechia: 12
- Denmark: 15
- Egypt: PG-13 (Self Applied)
- Egypt: Not Rated (DVD release)
- Finland: K-16
- France: 12
- Germany: 16
- Hong Kong: IIB
- Hong Kong: III (extended version)
- Hungary: 16
- India: A
- Iceland: 16
- Ireland: 15A
- Indonesia: 17+
- Israel: 14
- Italy: T
- Japan: PG-12
- Lithuania: N-13
- Luxembourg: 16
- Malaysia: P16
- Maldives: 15+
- Malta: 15
- Mexico: B
- Netherlands: 16
- New Zealand: M
- New Zealand: R13 (extended version)
- Norway: 15
- Philippines: R-13
- Poland: 16
- Portugal: M/14
- Russia: 16+
- Singapore: PG13
- Singapore: NC16 (extended version)
- Saudi Arabia: R12
- South Africa: 16
- South Korea: 15
- Sweden: 15
- Switzerland: 14
- Spain: 16
- Taiwan: R-15
- Thailand: 15
- Turkey: 15+
- United Kingdom: 15
- United States: PG-13
- United States: Unrated (Unrated version)
- Ukraine: 16
- United Arab Emirates: 15+
- Vietnam: CM16
Sex & Nudity (Mild)[]
- One of the main protagonists, Olivia, mentions one of her horror movie rules: "Having sex gets you killed." This line is played for laughs.
- There is a reference to college-aged students watching pornography; however, this is not graphic and is also played for comedic effect.
- At a college party hosted by one of the main protagonists, a teen couple is seen making out.
- The film contains some mild innuendos.
- There is a reference to a sex scene in an in-universe movie, although it is not graphic.
Violence & Gore (Moderate)[]
- A boy named Tyler is possessed by Silvius, the main antagonist of the film, and is forced to commit suicide by jamming a pencil into his eyeball and then driving it further into his brain by slamming it against the wall. In the unrated cut, he slams it three times instead of just once, as in the theatrical version, and blood is seen pouring from under the door.
- A girl named Milly is thrown out of a window by the ghost Silvius and lands on a spiky fence, causing blood to splatter on the ground. In the unrated cut, we briefly see her get impaled by the fence.
- A girl named Becca is knocked out by Silvius and later has a ladder smashed repeatedly onto her, resulting in her being crushed to death. The unrated cut shows a close-up of her face being squished.
- A boy is surprised by Silvius, who launches him into a pool, where he subsequently drowns.
- Another boy wakes up falling from the sky and lands in front of a moving train. The scene cuts to blood splattering on the ground; in the unrated version, the impact is shown onscreen with blood splattering.
- The unrated version features more graphic deaths than the PG-13 theatrical cut. In one scene, a boy named Luke is lured into the basement by Silvius, who has shapeshifted into his friend Monica. Silvius then reveals his true form and launches Luke onto the stairs, where he breaks his neck against the steps, with blood pooling around him.
- In the beginning of the movie Quin is smashed by a falling chandelier
- When characters are possessed by Silvius, they are often forced to kill themselves, resulting in scenes that involve blood.
- In one instance, a girl walks into the basement to get more soda but is surrounded by multiple Silvius costumes. Eventually, one of them comes to life and snaps the girl's neck
- The movie begins with an in-universe film showing someone being dragged and possibly killed by Silvius.
- The film is surprisingly violent for a PG-13 movie; strong, brief scenes of bloody violence include characters getting hanged, launched onto various surfaces such as pools and stairs, neck-snapping, throat slashing, and self-harm while under the control of a spirit.
- In one scene, a man possessed by Silvius is forced to slit his own throat, with blood shown in the unrated version. A flashback depicts a deranged filmmaker murdering several people before summoning a ghost; more detail is shown in the unrated version.
- The film also features a dead body and includes moments where a girl gets his neck snapped by a ghost. The "Unrated" Director's Cut has significantly higher levels of bloody violence than the PG-13 theatrical cut.
- There are numerous scenes of characters being attacked, murdered, tormented, and stalked by the ghost Silvius. A woman is punched in the face, and a ghost slams a girl's head onto a table, preparing to kill her. Characters are dragged and possessed by Silvius.
- A girl is grabbed by Silvius while he is possessing her father, and another character is hanged with used Christmas lights.
- In a heroic act, a girl sacrifices herself to a pentagram to save her friends from Silvius.
Profanity (Moderate)[]
- About one use of "f*cked", plus several uses of the words ''sh*t'', ''b*tch'', ''ass'', ''assh*le'', ''God'', ''Jesus Christ'', ''screwed'', ''piss'', ''hell'', ''crap'', ''Oh my god'', ''d*ck'' and one use of ''p*ssy''
- Unrated version adds 9 f-bombs.
- A middle finger gesture is shown.
- Name-calling is heard in the film.
Alcohol Drugs & Smoking (Mild)[]
- College students are seen drinking alcohol.
- A character's mom is an alcoholic.
- A girl jokes that ''she's going to do weed and get slashed by some masked killer".
Frightening & Intense Scenes (Moderate)[]
- There are many scenes of characters being chased stalked tormented possessed and murdered by a ghost ''Silvius'' all of this is in a supernatural manner this may be disturbing to some viewers
- The deaths may be intense for some viewers
- This is one of the tamer horror movies helped by it's comedic tone but there are still plenty of scary sequences in the film
- While the film has comedic aspects to it at the end of the day it's a horror movie meaning there is creepy images chase scenes a very menacing antagonist deaths jump scares and more this may be frightening for some viewers
- The scene where the power goes out and the characters are forced to go to attic armed may be frightening to some viewers thanks to the eerie atmosphere which is pretty tense and menacing
- While the film has some self aware humor the atmosphere is quite tense and menacing as it deals with 7 college students getting a supernatural curse caused by a ghost that escaped from a in universe horror film into the real world
- The main antagonist Silvius may scare younger viewers he has a menacing design a creepy voice and spends his time killing stalking and tormenting innocent victims this may scare some people
- There are many frightening scenes involving a ghost that attacks and kills people
- The flashback showcasing how Silvius escaped into the real world which is a deranged filmmaker killing people and summoning him may disturb some viewers
- The opening scene may scare people it starts with a women screaming over a black background before cutting to a movie theater revealing the screams are coming from a in universe movie as the girl is dragged and killed by Silvius
- The scene where the girl finds a dead body in a hospital with his throat slit is frightening as the build up to it is intense while harrowing music plays
- The attic sequence where the power goes out and the characters enter a attic to find escape armed is creepy and could scare people '
- there is some jump scares
- when characters are possessed by Silvius they sport a creepy face that involves their eyes glowing red veins showing and smiling creepliy this may frighten viewers
- In the ending of the film a important character Penny sacrifices herself to a pentagram to save her friends Olivia Beth and Nick this may be sad and emotional to some viewers
- there is sustained supernatural threat with a ghost that threatens murders torments stalks and chases people
Trivia[]
- The film was originally at Sony/Screen Gems before going to Universal/Blumhouse
- The film is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America for ''frightening sequences horror violence/terror disturbing material bloody images mature thematic material strong language suggestive references and drug material''
- In the UK the film is rated 15 by the BBFC for ''Strong threat and horror violence, injury detail, and language''
- Kevin Williamson has stated that the film has taken inspiration from his love of the horror genre as a whole meanwhile the humor was inspired by the book ''How To Survive A Horror Movie All The Skills To Dodge The Kills'' meanwhile the horror and premise was inspired by The Ring Final Destination and Supernatural
- The film was almost rated R in production so the team cut down some scenes for the desired PG-13 rating
- The film pays homage to and references a lot of other horror films such as the creator's own Scream, A Nightmare On Elm Street, The Ring, The Cabin In The Woods, The Strangers, The Purge, The Conjuring, Insidious, Saw, It Follows, Final Destination, amongst others
- When it was released on home media and streaming it came with a unrated version that contains more gore profanity additional deleted scenes and new scenes and scenes that help flesh out the plot not seen in the PG-13 cut
- Some people described it as ''The Ring meets Scream meets Wes Craven's A New Nightmare meets Final Destination''
- It was Blumhouse Production's highest grossing film until the Five Night's At Freddy's movie in 2023, grossing $292.1 against a $9 million budget
- As seen from the poster it was marketed as being ''From the minds of Scream'' (Kevin Williamson) and ''The producers of Get Out The Purge and The Visit'' (Blumhouse)
- It is one of the highest grossing horror films of 2017
- The Common Sense Media age recommendation is Ages 14+
- The main antagonist Silvius has became a modern horror icon similar to Pennywise Candyman Michael Myers Ghostface Freddy Krueger Jason Voorhes Chucky Samara Morgan etc
- Interestingly in Australia the theatrical cut is rated M meanwhile the unrated (referred to as Extended in Australia) version is rated MA15+ this is why the Australian home media release for the film is rated MA15+ despite the theatrical edition being rated M for including the extended version
- The opening Universal Pictures Blumhouse Productions and Media Rights Capital logos at the start have custom variations where the logos all glitch out with the Universal logo rewinding than playing normally before glitching out meanwhile the Blumhouse and MRC logos just glitch out
- In any country where ratings are mandatory such as UK and Australia the unrated version is referred to as the ''Extended" version instead this is because it's illegal for anything to actually be unrated in the UK per BBFC laws and in terms of Australia the OFLC must rate anything as a result in the UK it has the same BBFC 15 rating as the theatrical cut In Australia the ''Extended'' version is rated MA15+ Instead of M like the theatrical cut
- The Perfect World Pictures logo doesn't show up despite them financing the film
- While the rest of the group dies Olivia Beth and Nick survive this results in the sequels and tie in media focusing just on them as the protagonists
- How you defeat/outsmart Silvius is basically this ritual you first have to do a seance with him to distract him (can be anything Oujia boards lighting a candle on a table to talk to him etc although be very EXTREMELY careful because doing it wrong may result in him knowing what your going to do and of course death) than after that draw a pentagram on the floor (draw it correctly or it won't work) than you have to sacrifice someone to it (must be someone important like your friends and family bringing in a random person like a homeless person will not work) this will lure Silvius into the pentagram because he thinks that he has a new victim to pursue than when he gets in the pentagram fire will blaze out of the pentagram than (optional) while he is burning bring in a projector to stun and burn him even more and this will trap Silvius back into the movie
- Also a summary of Silvius the main antagonist of the movie he is a sadistic vicious bloodthirsty ghost that escaped from a in universe horror film into the real world he is capable of powers such as possession, telekinesis, teleportation, telepathy, shapeshifting, invisibility, time manipulation, hallucinations, mind control, dream telepathy, levitation, remote viewing, flight, energy manipulation, filmographic transportation, media manipulation, electrokinesis, etc one thing that makes him distinct from other horror movie ghosts is the fact unlike these other types of ghosts he isn't vengeful or having any type of sympathy instead he is pure evil who kills for the fun of it also sometimes when he kills someone he either eats or owns their soul and the reason isn't because he's hungry it's because he does this for fun one unique thing about him is unlike other horror film ghosts that really only haunt you and don't do anything until like the last 30 minutes of the movie this ghost actually is dangerous and will kill you also a notable trait about him is his backstory basically in mid filming of the in universe movie one of the filmmakers the director of the movie Michael Key went crazy and tried to summon Silvius the main antagonist of the in universe movie into the real world surprisingly it worked Michael Key teamed up with Silvius to kill many of the film's cast and crew however eventually Silvius brutally murdered Michael Key out of betrayal just for the evulz than as he continued killing off the cast one of the actress an old lady of the name Willis stopped Silvius by doing the aforementioned ritual needed to stop him than someone a crazy fan summoned him where now he curses and tries to kill 7 college students his motive is to replicate his movie kills pain and suffering into the real world also his way of killing his victims will vary sometimes he will kill them in slow and painful ways othertimes he gives them quick and painless deaths usually he will possess his victims and force them to kill themselves sometimes he toys and plays with his victims other times he just kills them also he is extremely smart and intelligent and can tell what his victims are doing and can come up with very unique creative and complex ways of stopping or killing his victims sometimes he will haunt his victims sometimes he doesn't symptoms of his curse can include for example if he enters a form of media than for example he can become different characters your TV screen phone or computer may glitch out rewind etc also a majority of his powers are generally physical although some are psychological he is also capable of speech and voice meaning he can talk both physically and telepathically he can also mimic voices and as part of his intelligence he also understands human behavior also note about his curses is that you don't for example watch the movie to get the curse no he actually picks his victims before deciding on one sometimes multiple if they are groups like the protagonists of the movie meaning the curse is random rather than being caused by being in contact with something also age has no limits with him meaning he will kill anyone regardless of age children and infants included and will also kill animals curses are generally his favorite ways of ending his victims he is also emotionally manipulative and he has a dark sense of humor also about the pentagram it can be used to defeat him and to lure him in also since he is immortal and you have to trap him back in the movie he may also escape the movie either by finding a way or if someone summons him and the most notable thing about him is he's not some mindless animal no he is a intelligent sophisticated sadistic predator
- Unlike most unrated editions of PG-13 rated horror movies that are usually marketing hype to trick you into buying the same movie with minor alternations the unrated version of this movie is actually genuine and has material that really had to be censored for the PG-13 rating it includes bloodier violence than the theatrical cut (while the film was intended to be PG-13 from start to finish some scenes of bloodier violence caused a R rating causing the team to trim remove or alternate certain scenes for the PG-13 rating the unrated version restores the R rated violence) as well as stronger profanity (again 9 f bombs except for one were removed for PG-13) new scenes deleted scenes restored back as well as scenes that help flesh out the plot and story back
- The main protagonists are all 19 year old college freshmen as explicitly confirmed in the film when the characters say ''Well were all freshmen and were all 19''