Way of the Wicked (2014)

It appears creepy little Robbie Mueller (Jake Croker) has telekinetic power and people who want to harm him, tend to die. After being away from his home town for five years he is back in high school creeping everybody out with his knowledge of Drake's Equation, bad hair, and inability to smile. The only thing more creepy is Christian Slater playing a defrocked priest following him around wearing a gold gangsta cross.Robbie has designs for Heather (Emily Tennant) who shows as much emotion as Kristen Stewart. Her father is a small town detective played by Vinnie Jones who is as convincing as when he played Ivan Rudovsky.The film felt like I was listening to someone tell a story who doesn't know how to tell a story.I had "Carrie" flashbacks as well as "The Omen." The small Washington state town with a girl being liked by a guy with special powers had me thinking "Twilight" especially with the low end acting. There is a twist which I admit didn't see coming, because the clues were light and you were dragged heavily in one direction. So think twist, and if you get it before the last 30 minutes, I owe you a Scooby-Snack.The film might have some stoner camp value to it. Not a serious horror/thriller.Parental Guide: F-bomb. No sex or nudity

Currently showing an IMDb score of 3.8 which I think is about right.Vinnie Jones plays a prominent role but is merely a failed UK footballer (soccer player) who attempted to launch a movie career and cannot act. Foolishly I did not check the full cast list before selecting this title on a Z-list UK terrestrial TV channel as his name would have saved me tuning in.Jones is hopeless and wooden (as expected), Christian Slater is clearly hard up for a buck (a shame given his previous work) so it is left to the youthful pseudo-teen school cast to carry this poorly written and directed pap. They don't do too badly so maybe they are worth a look in their future work.As a B-Movie fan I was able to watch it to the cheesy end but I was surprised to see that it was made in 2014, it felt like a low budget 1990/2000 flick.

Religious horror and thriller movies are a dime a dozen these days. Ever since "The Exorcist" hit screens in 1973, the world has been in a state of satanic panic. There's always a constant flow of possession or devil- baby flicks being released in the independent world of horror and touched upon in the mainstream at least once every six months or so. Some of them rise above the standard fare, while others fizzle out and are forgotten. "Way of the Wicked" falls short of being memorable by offering nothing new to audiences.Robbie (Jake Croker) is a disturbed young teen suspected of causing a mysterious death. After five years, he returns to his hometown to start anew. Still pining for the local police detective's (Vinnie Jones) daughter Heather (Emily Tennant), he befriends her and incurs the wrath of the girl's popular schoolmates and suitor. They begin turning up dead as each torments Robbie and bothers his love interest. Can Father Henry (Christian Slater) use the powers of his faith to stop the killings?"Way of the Wicked" plays out like a mashed-up version of "Carrie" and "The Omen." Although the image used to promote the movie screams "The Exorcist," what viewers find inside is a hodge-podge of elements taken from other films featuring teens with telekinetic powers. The only tie to religious thrillers is a prophecy Father Henry is investigating. Upon first viewing, it's vague whether the foretelling is from the Bible or another book associated with it. I doubt anyone would want to view it a second time just to catch whether it's one or the other.The acting in "Way of the Wicked" never comes into question. Both Vinnie Jones and Christian Slater act like they're personally invested in the film. Emily Tennant does a great job emoting as Heather. Jake Croker is absolutely creepy as Robbie. His performance and haunting stare made my skin crawl."Way of the Wicked" is unrated. It features violence, adult situations, and language. Viewers don't have to sit through any unnecessary nude scenes. I can see this airing on the Chiller Channel on a Friday or Saturday night.Even "Way of the Wicked's" attempt at a twist ending ends up falling flat. It just makes the whole thing more of a copycat of past movies much better than this. Even though you don't see it coming and it's well-delivered, you still are left with a sense of déjà vu as the credits roll. I can think of films that are a bigger waste of time, but you'd still be better off re-watching "Carrie," "Firestarter," or "The Omen."

'Way of the Wicked' has an idea but sadly it's been seen before several times. A priest aims to convince a cop who is also a desperate father that the young lad hanging around his daughter, is someone sinister. There are some interesting scenes but throughout the movie, there is a feeling like we have seen it all before. The element of surprise remains missing through most of it. Despite having a tried and tested formula, it seemed the director failed to try more with the plot or even add some engaging sub plots. However I was impressed with the cast who did their best with what they had which was sadly an average storyline. I still do recommend it as decent late night entertainment, especially for people who enjoy 'Omen-esque' films and like a decent climax!