If you thought Immaculate, The First Omen, and The Substance were great — do we have a classic horror movie for you! Called The Seventh Sign from 1988, this religious horror film stars a young Demi Moore as a woman who may bring about the Apocalypse. It’s currently available to rent or buy. Check out JustWatch to find a provider. But before you do that, let’s talk a little about this atmospheric end-of-the-world supernatural thriller and its star.
First, this movie isn’t a masterpiece by any means, The Substance might qualify as that depending on how you look at it. But The Seventh Sign is no slouch. It has got atmosphere, a foreboding vibe, and makes sense if you’re a religious person or have read the climax of the Bible. The New Testament is basically an anthology and this movie is based on its final story: The Book of Revelation.
Moore started her career doing horror, a 3D potboiler called Parasite. It wasn’t great, but the gimmick and her performance are enough to give it a watch. Remember, Moore became a soap actress, so if anything, her flair for the dramatic is center stage which can elevate the camp in any horror film.
For The Seventh Sign (1988), Moore, now 61, had just finished her cycle as an honorary member of “The Brat Pack,” a collective of young actors in the ’80s who often collaborated on Young Adult dramas and comedies to great appeal. Director John Hughes was behind a lot of those films. Some, like The Breakfast Club, are now considered classics.
She eventually graduated from that genre and went into doing dramas (A Few Good Men, Disclosure) and thrillers (Indecent Proposal, The Juror). Before that, she made The Seventh Sign a film released two years before her box office supernatural juggernaut Ghost (1990).
The Seventh Sign got mixed reviews, Roger Ebert, who was hyper-critical of horror movies actually liked it, saying, “After the sheer anarchy unleashed upon Hollywood by the slice-and-dice movies, it’s actually comforting to know that these characters play by the rules. They believe in good and evil, and they act as if individual human beings can have an influence on the outcome of events.”
He is right. The film does take itself very seriously. And if it were released today, it might be a Fathom event produced by a religious studio. But that is what gives this movie some bite. It follows, Abby Quinn (Moore) who is eagerly awaiting childbirth but is haunted by dreams where she suffers a miscarriage. When she decides to rent a room to a mysterious stranger, she realizes a chain of events that will unleash the end of humanity. But don’t reduce it to a Kirk Cameron joint. It’s much better.
The movie’s captivation is fueled by its omens; there are seven of them (hence the title) and the way they go about implementing each one is realistic, unique, and a bit unsettling. There is even a mild twist-ending that could happen today given the political climate.
The Seventh Sign isn’t going to blow you away. But if you’re looking to pass the time with a supernatural biblical disaster film, this one is definitely above par.
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