What an oddity… although while I didn't think it entirely comes together it still stormed up an imaginatively off-kilter, if not totally realized concept within an under-produced low-cost production. I wanted to like it more than I actually did, as where it disappointed was its lame, if cop-out ending in what feels like nothing more than pushy church propaganda. In the end, it didn't make me see the light. Forgive me for my sins.

In the 1920's, reverend Cage leaves his church as the people don't attend his sermons, which sees them no longer god-fearing in their abandonment of the ten commandments as greed, jealousy, and murder finds its way in the lives of the town's folks. While leaving the secluded rural town Cage encounters a dark, forbidding figure with a scythe that moves on to the town visiting those corrupted souls.

Labelling it under horror might feel misleading, as while the moments with the Angel of Death are ominously atmospheric and daunting (like the excellent introduction, where the church organ music makes way for a bellowing, uneasy spook score filled with a grim-like intensity)… however most of the time is spent on the soapy episodic dramas (five sets) of sinful town's folks breaking the ten commandments and then during a dark, windy night getting a visit from the reaper. These moments are subtly done in a visual sense --- concentrating on imagery like shadows and angles, but upon each death it gets nastier, especially the graphic fate of the final victim. Still the reaper sees too little time, but alone his appearance (that's the few glimpses) manages a cold shiver.

Director C.D.H Reynolds static handling has some pacing issues and it can look makeshift, but there's an authentic period style created and some eerie passages are etched. The material is thoughtfully written, painting the many dark facets of the human psyche with a cautionary irony to its developments. Nonetheless the tone is all over the place, making it feel somewhat half-baked and too black and white. The performances are quite raw, but acceptable. While you could say there was room for improvement, it still delivered a fascinating pitch even with its limitations.

A series of vignettes relates how a group of townspeople during the 1920's have strayed from God. The Grim Reaper turns up and cuts them down to size. Slow at times and the ending is a bit preachy but I enjoyed it. I liked the scene where the banker got his comeuppance after being locked in a cold cellar. The cast is made up of regulars from the EO Corp studio.

The 1920's. A mysterious sinister figure dressed in a black robe and brandishing a scythe arrives in a small Southern town to exact harsh punishments on various sinners.

Director Charles Reynolds relates the absorbing oddball story at a deliberate pace, presents a flavorsome evocation of the period setting, and delivers several strong moments of spot-on creepy gloom-doom atmosphere. Tom McIntyre's thoughtful script not only offers a colorful array of deliciously detestable characters, but also provides a strong and provocative central message about sin, redemption, and second chances.

Moreover, it's acted with zest by a game no-name cast, with especially stand-out contributions from William T. Hicks as greedy banker Sharpe, Helene Tryon as nasty old bat Mrs. Fitch, and Brownlee Davis as the angry Charlie. The deadly serious Christian aesthetic gives this movie its own unique identity. Worth a watch for horror fans looking for something way out of the ordinary.