Retro Review: The First Power (1990)

Horror had a hard time in the early 90s. The slasher genre had died out by then, and the meta craze didn't kick off until 1996. The years in between had horror struggling to find its footing again, and we got a hodgepodge of offerings like Jaccob's Ladder, The People Under the Stairs and In the Mouth of Madness.

And The First Power, which is an odd blend of a possession movie and an unstoppable killer flick. Think The Exorcist meets The Terminator and you kinda get the idea.

Lou Diamond Phillips is a maverick cop on the trail of a serial killer. The problem is, the killer is possessed by an evil spirit -- perhaps even The Devil himself -- and continues to murder people after being successfully sent to the gas chamber.

The killer is well played by Jeff Kober, who manages to be creepy AND intimidating at the same time. And Phillips does his best tough-cop impression. One forgets he was a big star back in the day.

Because this is a 90s movie, Phillips needs a hot female partner. In this case she's a psychic who ends up in the killer's path, and she's well played by Tracy Griffith. Yes, she's hot, and provides the necessary exposition as the movie rockets along from one chase/murder sequence to the other.

If it sounds like I'm being a little flippant toward The First Power, it's because I am. The movie operates under its own logic, and doesn't make much sense if you think too long and hard about it. But it is a lot of fun, and has a great, gritty look to it. It's definitely a product of the era it was made, and is best enjoyed as such.

I've seen The First Power a few times now, which means it's a Good. I recommend a Friday night watch with beer in hand.

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