Succubus
September 2nd, 2026
MOVIE: SUCCUBUS
STARRING: BRENDAN BRADLEY, OLIVIA GRACE APPLEGATE, ROSANNA ARQUETTE, RACHEL COOK, RON PERLMAN
DIRECTED BY: R.J. DANIEL HANNA
AMovieGuy.com’s RATING: 2 STARS (Out of 4)
RATED: R
RUN TIME: 103 MINUTES
Succubus is an intriguing title for a horror movie. What I have learned from an old South Park episode and a simple Google search is that a succubus is “a very attractive woman who is actually a demon in hiding, trying to prey on the weakness of a man.” In the world of horror, crafting a movie around demonic possession can be a suitable premise, and even the idea of men succumbing to their erotic desires could work. But in R.J. Daniel Hanna’s film, the writer/director wants the concept to feel updated for the modern world; sadly, not all demons need an update. Succubus is a well-intentioned horror effort that fails to elicit scares or anything truly creative in the process.
The premise centers on Chris (Brendan Bradley), a husband and father to an infant who is recently separated from his wife, Sharon (Olivia Grace Applegate). In his time of despair, he confides in his friend Eddie (Derek Smith), a shallow man who constantly has sex on his mind. With his wife away for the weekend with her girlfriends, Eddie convinces Chris to get on a dating app, where he connects with Adra (Rachel Cook), a woman who refuses to show her face or provide any information about herself. Not suspicious at all…
What follows is the revelation that Adra is obviously too good to be true. But instead of being a catfish or someone trying to scam Chris, she somehow uses his laptop and video chats to possess him? It’s all very silly. In fact, the first two acts predominantly unfold through video chats, online messaging, text messages, and Zoom calls. Although this feels like Hanna trying to make the story feel current, it ultimately becomes an unnecessary distraction, especially as the main character proceeds to make just about every stupid decision a reasonably informed person could make when communicating with total strangers.
It’s not all bad, however, as Succubus occasionally succeeds in eliciting memories of better works such as Hellraiser or Wishmaster. Those films, however, understood the driving power of horror makeup, special effects, and characters with deeper motivations. Chris is understandably depressed, but the film loses all logic when he chooses to do everything he does while his baby sleeps in the next room. Meanwhile, we’re introduced to Dr. Orion Zephyr (great character name!), played by Ron Perlman, who contacts Chris out of the blue in an attempt to stop the Adra demon from claiming her prey. His presence is ultimately wasted, even if Perlman himself is always a welcome sight.
There is a better movie somewhere inside Succubus. Hanna obviously has an understanding of how to craft a horror story, but with trite dialogue and idiotic characters, it becomes difficult to take any of the film seriously. I was on board for a movie about a man being lured into darkness by an incredibly beautiful woman, but Hanna isn’t curious enough to explore why an educated man would fall for something so obviously suspicious.
This is not the kind of horror movie that is stupid but fun. It’s just stupid and stupid. Needless to say, this one puts the SUCK in Succubus.
2 STARS
SUCCUBUS IS CURRENTLY STREAMING ON AMAZON PRIME, OTHER STREAMING OUTLETS, AND IS AVAILABLE TO RENT.
Written by: Leo Brady
