phancy.com - horror reviews - MOH 2021

Anything For Jackson



IMDb Info

Release Year: 2020
Runtime: 1h 37min
Country: Canada
Language: English
Genre Tags: Horror
Plot Summary: A bereaved Satanist couple kidnap a pregnant woman so they can use an ancient spellbook to put their dead grandson's spirit into her unborn child but end up summoning more than they bargained for.

Poster - Title Card


phancy.com rating:

phancy.com notes: A smart script and direction keep this from being a trainwreck. While acknowledging some funny moments, the overall story is treated as serious horror without becoming pretentious.


Outside Reviews:

Brian Tallerico
3 out of 4 stars - rogerebert.com

Anything for Jackson has the kind of premise that most directors would have turned into a goofy comedy of errors, especially in the years after Shaun of the Dead made horror-comedies cool again. And it starts off with some wicked dark humor that leads one to believe it's going in that direction ... and then it's not. Justin G. Dyck's very smart movie lures viewers in with its clever concept and instantly strong characters only to present them with the kind of nightmare fuel that would impress Clive Barker.


Leslie Felperin
3 out of 5 stars - Anything for Jackson review - grieving grandparents do a deal with the devil

There's a satirical streak, sure, but the devil's forked tongue stays mostly in the film's cheek, and in many ways it's also a conventional horror pic. That means the usual quota of jump-scares and visual effects-created scary monsters, such as a contortionist ghost with a plastic bag tied over his head or a mad woman who keeps flossing the teeth, one by one, right out of her mouth. At the same time, there's a streak of affecting drama that emanates from the main pair, a well-to-do couple scarred by tragedy who ultimately want to do something good but by any means necessary. Altogether, it's a richer devil's brew than you would expect, crisply edited and moodily shot - even if the last act doesn't quite hit the spot.