Don’t Panic is a supernatural slasher at best and a mashed-up mess of genres at its worst but at the end of the day, one cannot say that they did not enjoy watching this film as it turned out to be a lot of fun no matter the lunacy that took place within.

Directed by Ruben Galindo, this Mexican production would feature a lot of blood from special effects guru Screaming Mad George and if there was one big positive to this movie that a person would take, it was there being no doubt that one was watching a horror film. Another dead giveaway would take place at the beginning of the picture when a group of kids would break out a Ouija board after the end of a party. Ouija board = evil. Nothing good ever seems to come from them and lo and behold, the kids summon a demon forth who then inhabits one of their bodies and begins to go on a killing spree. Soon enough, all of those who had decided to use the Ouija board that night find themselves being hunted down and killed and while Michael tries his best to warn the victims and perhaps even save them, Virgil, the demon that was summoned, will not be stopped.

As a person watches this film they will get a strong sense of Deja vu, a been there done that feeling and for good reason because everything in this movie has been seen a hundred times previous. The kids at the party, the Ouija board, demon possession and so forth and all of it to greater or lesser degrees of success. This particular outing falls somewhere down the middle. None of it is bad per se but none of it is exceptional either. It is quite enjoyable to watch Michael as played by Jon Michael Bischof try to get ahead of things and stop Virgil from killing all of his friends with nobody believing a word that he says. Making things just a little more complicated is that Michael must use a magic dagger to defeat Virgil which means getting up close and personal, something which proves to be easier said than done.

Though the story was decent enough, the script needed a little work and even more so, the acting which at times, was a bit rough. For the most part, A-list actors never usually star in horror films but it is always nice to see competency in a movie, especially when it comes to the actors and actresses who star in it and here, despite those rough spots, they too would fall somewhere down the middle when it came to talent. Whether or not a better script might have helped them along, they did what was needed and got the message across to the audience. The practical effects on the other hand were great and when it came to the kills, with the blood and everything that went along with it, it looked quite good. It can be said a slasher is only as good as its kills and here they were a cut above many other films of its ilk.

Altogether, Don’t Panic, as cliched as it is, was a lot of fun and in the end, if a person can be entertained by what they are watching, that is all that matters. Blood, suspense, a demon and more conspire to make this film perfect viewing for those in need of a little horror.

3 out of 5