Devon is a new found footage horror movie directed by Jenni “JWoww” Farley that struggles to offer much beyond attempting some familiar scares.
Synopsis
Devon follows five strangers who respond to a sketchy online ad promising $100,000 to investigate an abandoned asylum for clues about a girl who vanished decades ago.
My Thoughts
So, Devon is Jenni “JWoww” Farley’s big debut as a director and writer.
Yep, Jersey Shore’s JWoww decided to make a found-footage horror flick, because why not?
The story’s about five random schmucks answering a sketchy online ad promising a share of $100,000 to go look for clues about a girl named Devon who disappeared ages ago.
The catch? They have to search an abandoned mental hospital.
You’d think the “mental hospital” part would be the red flag, but nope, as we know, money talks, and this team of mismatched misfits walk right into a death trap.
Once inside, it’s all handheld cameras, dark hallways, and screaming.
The rest of the plot?
Well, let’s just say it’s a bit of a mess.
But hey, shaky cam and creepy vibes, right?
The movie looks good though, I will give it that. It was shot at Pennhurst State School and Hospital, and this setting is quite unsettling and creepy.
But instead of using the setting to full effect, we just get people yelling and running around a lot while watching some horrible shaky-cam.
The acting isn’t great and you find it hard to care about characters who feel like they were dragged out of a reality TV casting call.
The scare factor that is attempted in the film are mostly just noises and don’t really do much, and it offers nothing new whatsoever.
It’s like the film has attempted to just copy previous found footage films to the tee and they have not done a very good job at executing it.
At just over an hour, Devon doesn’t overstay its welcome, but it doesn’t leave much of a mark, either.
If you’re a die-hard found-footage fan, you might find some fun in it.
But for anyone else? Stick with something better, or hell, binge Jersey Shore.
At least that chaos is intentional.
You can tell the love of the genre that Farley has, and I applaud her for giving it a go, and the film tries to recreate the best bits of the genre that fans love, but it just doesn’t do it very well.
Good Points
Quick Pacing: At 72 minutes, the film gets to the action fast and doesn’t drag out the story unnecessarily.
Atmospheric Setting: The abandoned Pennhurst Asylum is a genuinely creepy setting but just a shame it wasn’t used very well.
Bad Points
Thin Story: The plot lacks depth and doesn’t do much to explain the why’s.
Shaky Cam Overload: The handheld footage is often chaotic and hard to follow, and it becomes more frustrating than scary.
Nothing New: The film sticks so closely to found-footage tropes that it feels derivative.
Is It Worth Watching?
Honestly, I did not like Devon at all, but I can see what it was attempting.
If you’re a die hard found footage fan, you might find something to appreciate from it, but it’s a tough one to actually say it is worth watching.
Where To Watch
Director and Cast
Director – Jenni “Jwoww” Farley
Main Cast – Tara Rule, Hank Santos, Rotisha Geter, Lauren Carlin, Steven Etienne
Found Footage Horror Movies 
Let Me Know Your Thoughts!