Fantasia ’24: The Old Man and the Demon Sword

It is basically the anti-Excalibur. You don’t possess this sword—it possesses you. Wielding it necessarily entails a Faustian bargain. It is best possible weapon for killing demons, but by doing so, the demon trapped within will eventually build up enough power to break out. Old tipsy Tonho is no demon-slayer, but somehow the blade finds its way into his hands in Fabio Powers’ The Old Man and the Demon Sword, which screened at the 2024 Fantasia International Film Festival.

Initially, the Demon Sword had a highly contentious relationship with its wielder, a fiery padre literally crusading against demons. When he dies in battle, the sword literally falls to Tonho. He might be drunk, but he is smart enough to resist picking it up. Nevertheless, the Demon Sword marks him anyway.

Ironically, Tonho is more devout than any of the film’s flawed clergy. The boozy widower truly tries to hew to a righteous path, which clearly does not preclude the old hair of the dog, at least in his judgement. That leads to constant squabbling with the Demon Sword, whom he can hear in his head. Regardless, they must work together eventually, when they enter a magically sealed-off Portuguese village harboring demons.

Powers’ deliberately exaggerated, lo-fi grungy DIY style is amusing, at least for a while. However, even the film’s relatively brief running time (a mere 64-minutes) starts to wear out its welcome, especially when it resorts to overly-familiar meta conventions. There is also a weird disconnect between the intentional low-budget aesthetic (for comedic effect) and its half-serious discussion of profound theological concepts. Frankly, this wild cocktail would have probably worked better as a twentysomething-minute short film.

Nevertheless, non-professional actor Antonio da Luz is a true diamond in the rough portraying a fictionalized version of himself. Somehow, despite all the slapstick carnage, he maintains an honest dignity that is rather quite endearing. The way his guileless directness cuts through the demon’s supernatural self-importance is also strangely compelling.

The Old Man and the Demon Sword is definitely a festival film. Its excesses will be much more entertaining when seen with a large group. One viewing should also be more than sufficient. Recommended for fans of Troma and the like, The Old Man and the Demon had its world premiere at this year’s Fantasia.