I came into the horror thriller “Succubus,” written and directed by R.J. Daniel Hanna, completely blind. From its poster, this film looked to be one of those low rent horror flicks that may be enjoyable but will be quickly forgotten like the last value meal you consumed at your local McDonald’s. What resulted, however, truly surprised me, especially after learning what the filmmakers had to work with. “Succubus” held me firmly within its tight grasp from start to finish as it takes the audience on an especially insane ride to hell. While this is a motion picture which will find its biggest audience on VOD, seeing it on the silver screen proved to be quite the treat.

We meet Chris (Brendan Bradley), a tech financier who is currently going through some tough times. His latest business venture fizzled to where his finances are very tight, he is separated from his wife Sharon (Olivia Grace Applegate), and he is home alone with his infant son and figuring out where to go at this tenuous stage in his life. Plus, he keeps getting pestered by his overly sensitive mother, Denise (Rosanna Arquette of all people), about his bad business decisions and her grandson whom she hopelessly adores.

In the midst of all this, Chris’ alpha male of a best friend, Eddie (Derek Smith), has encouraged him to go on a dating app and meet attractive females who are just waiting to party with the right man. Chris is initially reluctant to engage in the possibilities of online dating as he still has deep feelings for Sharon, but then he comes across a beautiful woman by the name of Adra who has a truly smoking hot body, but whose face is obscured by a cellphone she holds up in front of her face. Why would she do that when everyone else is quick to get you to look at their revealing features? Chris is quickly drawn in by her, and this leads him down a path which will reveal, among other things, some inescapable facts about nanny cams.

Adra is played here by Rachel Cook, and she is clearly having a blast playing a seemingly innocent human being who almost effortlessly lures Chris into her clutches. I was back and forth on whether to write the definition of the word succubus, but her performance here makes me want to as she seduces not just Chris, but the audience as well. So here it is:

A succubus is a female demon or supernatural entity in folklores who appears in dreams to seduce men, usually through sexual activity. According to some folklore, a succubus needs semen to survive; repeated sexual activity with a succubus will result in a bond being formed between the succubus and the person; and a succubus will drain or harm the man with whom she is having intercourse.

After watching this film, I think you will agree that Rachel portrays the personification of a succubus.

What also intrigued about this film was how well made it is for a genre picture. The cinematography by Jimmy Jung Lu is quite striking, the music score by Andrew Brick Johnson keeps the tension simmering just beneath the surface, and the production design by Eric J. Peterson helps ground the characters and their situations into a reality we can understand to where the action is more horrifying and unnerving than it already is. Seeing it on the silver screen made it quite the treat as a result.

When I first saw Brendan Bradley’s character of Chris appear onscreen, I figured he was a tech guy who spent more time on his computer and social media than anything else, and that he made more money than I will ever see in my lifetime (okay, that’s resentment talking). But from beginning to end, Bradley makes Chris into a complex and sympathetic human being to where I couldn’t help but be in his corner even as he learns in the worst ways possible how the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

Eddie is a character who could have easily been the average douchebag who is infinitely threatened by the attacks on his masculinity, but Derek Smith takes Eddie from those testosterone heights to his vulnerable lows as we watch this character travel down a path which may very well have the most painful ending. As a result, this will leave all the men crossing their legs in understandable defense.

You also have Olivia Grace Applegate as Chris’ estranged wife, Sharon, who starts off as an anxious bundle of nerves but ends up rising to the challenge when her husband ends up in harm’s way. Kudos also goes out to Emily Kincaid who plays Sharon’s best friend, Charlisse, who has invited her to a bachelor party and constantly encourages her to be a free spirit because of her current single status.

But the big secret weapon “Succubus” has to offer us is “Hellboy” actor Ron Perlman who portrays Dr. Orion Zephyr, a man who appears to have all the answers to what Chris is going through. The genius of Perlman’s performance is how enigmatic he makes Dr. Zephyr as certain allegations are made about this character to where we cannot be certain if he is a trustworthy human being. As a result, Perlman only adds to the unbearable suspense this movie has to offer as shocking events occur which could not have been easily predicted.

With “Succubus,” writer and director R.J. Daniel Hanna has given us the kind of horror film which is not about giving audiences a jump scare every five minutes, but instead to deliver a WTF cinematic experience which, whether or not you think it rivals the average Ari Aster flick, will leave you deeply unnerved. This was especially the case when I saw the horrified expression on a certain character’s face at the end. Just when you think the terror is over, it isn’t. Kind of like real life, huh?

* * * ½ out of * * * *