The Devil Went Down to Islington review – likably daft teacher sells his soul
There is something a bit exasperating about Daniel Wilson’s low budget comedy horror about a north London teacher who drunkenly sells his soul to the devil over a kebab. It’s a cheerful spoof that looks like everyone involved had lot of fun making. But in the end it feels too silly to be scary, with too few laughs to be properly funny. It also scores a grade F for its female characters.
That said, comedian Spencer Brown is likably daft as John, a failed indie guitarist who teaches music in a London school (he’s possibly less mature than most of his teenage pupils). John’s problems begin when his cat gets chomped by a recycling truck. Then he’s arrested for supplying class As to a pupil (in actual fact, it’s his mate, another teacher, who is buying cocaine from the girl, a dealer). On a bender after being suspended, John makes a pact with the devil: all his wishes coming true in return for his soul.
As a whole, the film is not all that terrible. Michael Smiley has a small but entertaining role as a badass priest delivering north London from evil who meets a grisly end. Though possibly the grimmest spectacle here is not his face melting off but John’s love interest – supply teacher Zoe (Sophie Colquhoun) – cooking a fry up in lacy knickers. Really, what The Devil Went Down to Islington feels like is a low-rent version of an Edgar Wright movie: a reminder that pulling off a decent spoof is devilish trick. There’s not much treat here.
• The Devil Went Down to Islington is released on 23 October on digital platforms.