Plot

From the haunted forests of a lost Portuguese village, an evil energy is born - Humanity's only hope is a retired construction worker, a bottle of wine, a Zündapp 50cc motorcycle and a sword possessed by a strange demon.

From the haunted forests of a lost Portuguese village, an evil energy is born. Without fearing God or Man, it roams the valleys harvesting the souls of those who are distracted by the fleeting pleasures of the immediate... The only thing that separates these entities from the final apocalypse that will enslave humanity in the seventh circle of hell is a retired construction worker, a bottle of wine, a Zündapp 50cc motorcycle and a sword possessed by a strange demon.—Cinema Xunga

The real heart of the movie though, is the performance by the lead António da Luz. He's wide-eyed and unsubtle, but his performance is also earnest and loveable as the film explores through symbolism his internal struggles. Featuring fourth-wall-breaking elements, the movie serves as an enduring tribute to António da Luz and immortalizes him as an unlikely but relatable hero. As the movie explores questions of faith, modernity, and dignity, the film's silliness is counterbalanced by a genuine wholesome vibe. THE OLD MAN AND THE DEMON SWORD embraces genre cinema at its purest, channelling fantasy-film conventions within a unique cultural lens. It's a film of infinite pleasures, as heartfelt as it is ridiculous. More than just a slapstick lo-fi fantasy film, the movie has a genuine engagement with questions of legacy and the power of cinema to fulfill dreams.—Justine Smith