Hello again, horror lovers. Welcome to another edition of Underrated Horror Movie of the Month. On the second and fourth Fridays of each month, I come here and talk about a film that I feel is underrated, underloved and underappreciated. The chosen media can come from any subgenre, be from anywhere in the world and have been made in any decade. In this edition, I bring the 2006 hidden gem, The Covenant. Stick around to see why I think this movie deserves more recognition.

About The Covenant

A group of young men holds a heavy secret. They are all part of a coven, and each can wield magic, but those abilities come with a price. Descendents of the original 1700s Sons of Ipswitch, the boys must uphold the pact of silence set forth by their ancestors. Suddenly, another magic user shows up in their small town, a power they thought long dead. The four friends must protect themselves and those they love from this new danger before someone gets hurt. With magic flying in every direction, anyone could be the next target.

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The Covenant stars Steven Strait, Sebastian Stan, Toby Hemingway, Taylor Kitsch, Chace Crawford, Laura Ramsey and Jessica Lucas. Renny Harlin directed the film, and J.S. Cardone wrote the script. The runtime is one hour and 37 minutes.

This film has a four percent Tomatometer Score and a 62 percent Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes.

A man throws a magic force forward in The Covenant.

My Thoughts

This is one of my favorite comfort movies. Some may call it a guilty pleasure, but  I carry no guilt from loving this movie. It is a horror movie but on the mild side. It is not bloody or intense, with tons of kills. However, it has incredible effects and a good story.

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As always, I combed through online reviews to discuss viewers’ most common issues with the film. I sit here typing, feeling oddly stunned by what I found. Unlike the other movies I have discussed in this column, even the negative reviews were essentially positive. It was a strange experience. A post would give four out of 10 stars and discuss how much they enjoyed the movie. The only explanation for this oddity I can come up with ties back to the only actual issue I came across.

The one thing that consistently showed up in comments called The Covenant a teen movie. I can only conclude that many viewers see this film as being for teenagers and, therefore, should not like it and subsequently give a low rating. Also, I think it speaks volumes that the Tomatometer Score is so low on Rotten Tomatoes while the Audience Score is over 60 percent. Also, it has a 5.2 out of 10 on IMDb.

Glass flies around Steven Strait's face while inside a car in The Covenant.

Perhaps it is because I was a teenager when this movie came out, but I do not see it as specifically a “teen movie.” It has a dark story. While it does revolve around characters who are 17 and 18 years old, it is not some high school drama. While they attend a private school, that aspect is not a huge part of the overall experience. The same things could easily happen in other settings. Perhaps I still view the movie as the 16-year-old I was when it was released, but is that so bad?

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Back to the effects, I love the magical visuals. The look and feel of the scene during the magic-fueled fights are unlike any others I have seen. As a side note, Sebastian Stan reportedly did all of his stunts. Also, the colorization is intriguing. The constant blue tone gives The Covenant an old-timey, eery feel that is pervasive throughout the film.

Final Thoughts

While this is not the typical bloody and visceral style of horror, it is fun and enjoyable. There are some incredible moments. It also has a decent pace and likable characters. On the flip side, there are also characters that the viewer may want to slap. If you want to give The Covenant a try, it is available to buy or rent on all of the major digital platforms.

Have you seen this movie? Leave your thoughts in the comments! Before you go, check out the trailer below and leave me a suggestion for the next film you think I should feature. Until next time, horror fans. Stay spooky and, above all, watch more horror movies.

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