47
Metascore
7 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 67The Film StageJared MobarakThe Film StageJared MobarakThe dread becomes so palpable that the implausibility of a wooden door with three tiny locks somehow containing the Devil actually proves itself scarier as a result.
- 63RogerEbert.comBrian TallericoRogerEbert.comBrian TallericoClever-but-frustrating.
- 60Film ThreatAlex SavelievFilm ThreatAlex SavelievSilly and scary, atmospheric and disjointed, I Trapped the Devil showcases Lobo’s affection for the genre. He wisely avoids falling into the “gore” trap, instead relying on characterization and our fear of the unknown to raise the hair on the back of your neck.
- 50Los Angeles TimesNoel MurrayLos Angeles TimesNoel MurrayLobo overdoes the sudden shifts between the real and the surreal in the last act, refusing to answer any questions definitively until he has to. But the first-time filmmaker shows an impressive amount of confidence in his methods. He knows how to make audiences uncomfortable — first with tedium, then with terror.
- 50The New York TimesTeo BugbeeThe New York TimesTeo BugbeeBy seesawing between bland normalcy and hellishness, Lobo denies his audience the immersive horror that his film’s best images promise.
- 50VarietyDennis HarveyVarietyDennis HarveyDoesn’t ultimately provide quite enough reward for a slow buildup. But it proves Lobo an able helmer (if one who could probably use a co-writer next time), eking decent atmospherics and good performances within a potentially claustrophobic premise.
- 30The Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckThe Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckUnfortunately, for all the debuting filmmaker's talent for creepy atmospherics, I Trapped the Devil feels draggy and attenuated even with its brief 82-minute running time including credits. Despite some good performances, the film goes nowhere, and very, very slowly.