Woody Bess makes his genre debut with the wildly inventive horror comedy Portal to Hell. Told with a manga-like energy, the film follows Dunn (Trey Holland), a down-on-his-luck guy who hates his job, his life, and his inability to connect with others. His only solace? A local laundromat—until one day, a dryer unexpectedly opens a portal to hell.
Portal to Hell leans more into comedy than horror, and that’s where Bess’ work truly thrives. Packed with laughs, surprises, and sharp self-awareness, the film feels like a love letter to horror and genre storytelling, proving that Bess is a true student of the craft. This will undoubtedly be one of the festival films to keep on your radar this season.
Alongside Dunn, we meet his hard-nosed neighbor Mr. Bobshanks (Keith David), laundromat worker Ed (Romina D’Ugo), his charming apartment complex crush (Monet Weir), and of course, Chip the Demon (voiced by Richard Kind). The hilarious dynamic between these characters drives the film, showcasing how Portal to Hell isn’t just about fighting demonic forces, but about how we react under pressure—and what that says about us. The introduction of Chip the Demon adds another layer, playing with our societal and biblical ideas of hell. Maybe hell isn’t so bad—maybe we all deserve to go there since none of us are truly “worthy” of some magical, perfect afterlife.
Watching Portal to Hell, I couldn’t help but be reminded of manga horror legends like Junji Ito and Kazuo Umezz’s The Drifting Classroom. During the Q&A, Bess noted that the film was built on working with what they had, and honestly, that’s all that’s needed to make Portal to Hell work. The concept is so bonkers that the randomness of it all feels completely justified. Plenty of stories use doors, cars, or ritualistic objects to bridge worlds, but why not a laundromat? It’s a universal, mundane space, making the absurdity of it all even funnier and more relatable.
Lately, I’ve been exhausted by films catering to entitlement, drowning in uninspired scenarios that ultimately end up in forgettable streaming libraries. Portal to Hell stands out on concept alone, but once audiences dive into its humor, clever musical surprises, and unexpectedly deep questions about good and evil, it’s clear—sometimes, we all need to be run through the cycle.
Rating: 3.5/5
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