The Covenant

I have a moderate obsession with the supernatural. Not anything crazy, I mean I am not a ghost hunter nor do I think I am a vampire, but I find the mythology and allure of the supernatural to be very sexy, so when this movie was in theaters I had a bit of an interest. However, not enough to spend the 6 to 9 dollars it would take, so while I was sick in bed I thought it was the perfect time to rent this B-type movie. The story is essentially this: there were 5 families who possessed these super powers and when they thought one of the family’s bloodlines had ended, the other 4 decided to keep quiet about their powers signing a covenant. We are also led to believe that the Salem witch trials were due to these families. We pick up the action in modern times as the 4 remaining families are just realizing how seductive the powers can be and in shocking fashion (not really) the lost member of the fifth family has come back.


It should be said that the wrench in their super powers and also an interesting part of the mythology, is that the more they use their powers the quicker they age. The Earthly bodies cannot handle the amount of power and if you go power crazy you will look 100 years old while only actually being 40 years old. Also, when one turns 18 he “ascends” and becomes more powerful. The fifth member is back for revenge and what he wants is the power of one of the other kids who is about to turn 18. I found out that this movie is based on a Graphic Novel I had never heard of, which makes sense, story wise, but it appears the creators of the graphic novel were kept far away from the script and acting choices.


To be honest, I am not sure how this movie got a wide release. This should have probably been a direct to DVD release where comic book geeks like me or teenage boys who think they might be gay could be the only ones to find it. Yes, the movie is chalk full of homoerotic visuals, glances and stares between pretty boys. The script is all over the place and doesn’t help us follow the barely strung together plot and the acting is so incredibly bad, there were times it was painful to watch. Where they live is obviously cold and always raining, yet no one ever sleeps with clothes on, we are vaguely introduced to these creatures called “darklings” but never are told what they mean or of what significance they have to these characters or story. While I still find the mythology gripping and interesting and I may try and find the graphic novel, this movie is essentially a waste of time and energy.