2017, Pantero Productions
Director:
Franklin Correa
Producers:
Emilio Pantero
Jamale Session
Jorge Valentin
Writer:
Franklin Correa
Cinematography:
Marc Fratto
Editing:
Marc Fratto
Cast:
Franklin Correa (Bobby)
Greta Quispe (Sandra)
Macquell James (Lyco)
Marilyn Tolentino (Shelly)
Terrance Epps (Darius)
Jorge Valentin (Chucho)
Sandra Fernandez (Miss Reuben)
Miguelina Olivares (Tavares)
Bruno Barros (Jerry)
Dayveonne Bussey (Leonard)
Lester Greene (Father Fontaine)
A relic, believed to have some power, is wanted by both a ruthless collector and even worse, a deadly voodoo priest, in indie filmmaker Franklin Correa’s latest.
Cousins Sandra and Shelly Ruiz have an ancient relic in the shape of an elephant that is believed to have ancient powers. Worried that it can fall in the wrong hands, they hire Shelly’s boyfriend Chucho, a courier, to help deliver the relic. Chucho hires his two best men, Bobby and Darius, to deliver the relic for him and they agree. However, they soon learn that this relic is very special.
The relic is wanted by antiques collector Miss Reuben, a rich woman who always gets what she wants no matter what it takes. To make sure she has her hands on the relic, she employs the services of two assassins, Tavares and Jerry. However, Miss Reuben is not the only one who wants the relic. A mysterious man known as Lyco, who is a deadly man whose specialty is voodoo, wants the relic as well. Will Bobby and Darius succeed in delivering the relic to its rightful place or will they fall prey to either one of the deadly factions?
New Jersey-based filmmaker Franklin Correa proves with this film that he can attempt to pull off not just action films, which is his usual forte, but brings in a horror tale that while it offers bits of action, brings more of a vibe akin to John Carpenter. The film’s supernatural elements seem to pay homage to films like perhaps Big Trouble in Little China and in a sense, Halloween. It also brings a sense of films like The Believers in mind in terms of using voodoo for its titular character.
A major positive in the film is the interactions between the likes of Bobby, Darius, Chucho, Sandra, and Shelly. The interactions don’t feel forced and seems to make the film move along smoothly. Correa’s direction allows this to just have that “go with the flow” feel and act natural and it succeeds here, even if we see these actors playing characters. Some interactions do feel a bit forced, like the interactions between Miss Reuben and her two hires, Tavares and Jerry. While Tavares and Jerry themselves seem natural, Miss Reuben’s ability to act like top dog towards her hires seem a bit out of control at times.
The titular character of Lyco is excellently played by Macquell James. A true visionary of evil, James lets loose in both the voodoo scenes and when he arrives to wreak havoc. In his plain clothes look, he comes across as a villain character you would expect in a Blaxploitation film and for this film, it works. He even has a slave in the form of Dayveonne Bussey’s Leonard, who in parts of the film puts himself in situations where he fights. The fights once again highlight Correa’s vision of being real self-defense as opposed to the flashy stuff many are used to today.
Lyco is definitely one of Franklin Correa’s better films, thanks to his ability to mesh horror, a little comedy, and his trademark style of action.
WFG RATING: B+
A special Thank You goes out to Franklin Correa for allowing World Film Geek to view the film!
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