Horror Movie Review: The Sisterhood (2004)

I have a lot of time for David DeCoteau, and even more time for his Brotherhood series of softcore gay vampire flicks, even though they’re not what anyone would call ‘quality films’. I have a soft spot for the series because it always felt like DeCoteau was trying to make something good. It felt like he cared.

The Sisterhood is the opposite. An attempt to create an all-female counterpart to The Brotherhood but done in such a low effort way that is downright embarrassing. Not just for DeCoteau, but for a cast that includes horror icon Barbara Crampton.

There is so much wrong with The Sisterhood that it is difficult to know where to start, but perhaps the most flagrant example of how little effort was put in is the plot. Where coherence simply doesn’t exist and entertainment was an afterthought.

The BATS are the most popular sorority on campus, filled with young women who like to party, strip to their underwear, and engage in softcore sex antics with other young women. They’re also evil, led by a powerful demon called Devin. Their goal being to corrupt innocent freshmen.

One such freshman is Christine, who tries to steer clear of the BATS but is encouraged to infiltrate them by her paranormal psychology professor. Why? Because Christine has psychic powers that includes telekinesis, sort of. The film is really lazy about what she can and can’t do, and her powers have very little effect on the overall plot, until it’s time for the showdown with Devin.

So, Christine is encouraged to join the BATS as the professor suspects the sorority of being evil and needs proof. Of course, once part of the BATS, Christine finds herself enjoying the party lifestyle and gets closer to Devin. Will the demon be able to corrupt her, or will Christine be able to stop their wicked ways?

Dull beyond belief, the main plot is mind-numbing, and the subplots are exceptionally basic (a jealous roommate, a potential geek boyfriend that falls under the demon’s spell). The Sisterhood might only be 80-minutes long, but it feels double that. Something not helped by a malaise that hangs over the entire cast. It’s hard to put too much of the blame on them though, as many were clearly given roles for how they look, and others were given absolutely nothing to work with. Look ‘sexy’, deliver awkward and half-hearted softcore sex scenes in their underwear, and deliver dialogue that DeCoteau probably wrote while he was on the toilet.

It’s bad. Really bad. Where even DeCoteau’s tropes can’t help it. No amount of obnoxious techno music, bright flashes, hunky men, and sunglass wearing regardless of light can save this trash.

Here’s the thing, The Brotherhood is not a good series of films, but by contrast to this, they are downright brilliant. I’ve seen bad David DeCoteau films before, but this is up there as one of his worst. I guess that’s why we only got one Sisterhood film in the end!