CRUCIFIED is an Italian apocalyptic horror film brought to you by Claudio Lattanzi, the man behind Zombie 5: Killing Birds. The synopsis of this film states: In a dungeon, five people struggle for their survival: three women, a theologian, and a young doctor. Outside this hideout reigns the APOCALYPSE. The Evil has been generated by a patient zero, and a group of former soldiers, The Exterminators, crucify any person they meet to find the source of this evil. This is where the interest ends.

Set in a world so devoid of color and hope, CRUCIFIED (also known as Everybloody’s End) took this a bit too far and made sure the viewer could not see some of the actual film. Scenes set in almost complete darkness leave you to wonder what exactly are the actors looking at and should it bother me? I did appreciate, though, the well-devised stark images of the world outside. Some shots would make beautiful paintings or tapestries for any horror lover’s home.

Unfortunately, the imagery was not the only thing devoid of life; so was the acting. Each character looked as if they were reading cue cards and had happened onto the set. There was no development on who they were or why you should care. One exception to this was well-known actress Cinzia Monreale, who is known for her previous work in another Italian film, The Beyond. She was the saving grace for me.

The first half of CRUCIFIED lacks drive as you follow how these people end up together in this basement. It takes half the movie to get there. Once together, you never quite understand the point of it all until the last 20 minutes or so of the film. Oh, and the Exterminators. I was so excited when I read that thinking we would have an awesome death squad of mercenaries going around crucifying everyone. Don’t get your hopes up. Dressed in all black regular clothes and what looks like cloth face masks, you will not see that much. I will give credit, however, that when you do see them crucifying, it looks good and the special effects are spot-on for the blood. Any scenes of death or torture were well thought out and you could tell they wanted it to look authentic.

I also enjoyed the last 20 minutes of CRUCIFIED as there are revelations of what the Evil actually is and what has to be done to stop it. Am I glad I sat through the lackluster portion of the film? Yes, it paid off for me. Would I watch it again? No, unless I fast forward through the first half at least.

If you go into this expecting an Italian masterpiece the likes of Lucio Fulci, Mario Bava, and Dario Argento, you will be disappointed. CRUCIFIED is more along the lines of an Italian version of an Uwe Boll film but with less action.

CRUCIFIED will be available On-Demand and on Digital in both the United States and Canada on March 9, 2021.