Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls

"Demons. Ghouls. Tiny wines. Onyx is in for one hell of a weekend."

2023 1h 50m EN

😐

6.0

MID

★6.0TMDB · 44

ComedyHorror

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Onyx joins a group of fellow occultists to attend a dark ritual at the mansion of their idol, Bartok. Suspecting Bartok’s nefarious intentions, Onyx is suddenly immersed in a world of monsters, mystery, and mayhem.

“Demons. Ghouls. Tiny wines. Onyx is in for one hell of a weekend.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Andrew Bowser
Onyx the Fortuitous
Olivia Taylor Dudley
Farrah
Jeffrey Combs
Bartok the Great
Rivkah Reyes
Mack
Terrence 'T.C.' Carson
Mr. Duke
Arden Myrin
Shelley
Melanie Chandra
Jesminder
Barbara Crampton
Nancy

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Andrew Bowser
Writers: Andrew Bowser
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $0.6M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 3 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Matt Mahaffey. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Andrew Bowser shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Andrew Bowser and Olivia Taylor Dudley and Jeffrey Combs carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Demons. Ghouls. Tiny wines. Onyx is in for one hell of a weekend.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt14402316 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 44 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Andrew Bowser directs. Matt Mahaffey scores. Andrew Bowser cuts. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $0.6M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
2Released 3 years ago.
3Original score by Matt Mahaffey. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Andrew Bowser shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Andrew Bowser and Olivia Taylor Dudley and Jeffrey Combs carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "Demons. Ghouls. Tiny wines. Onyx is in for one hell of a weekend.".
7IMDB entry: tt14402316 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 44 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Original score: Matt Mahaffey
Editing: Andrew Bowser
Makeup / hair: Melanie Aksamit
Runtime: 110 min · 1h 50m
Status: Released
Budget: $610,467
Original language: EN
IMDB: Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls (2023)

Also by

Andrew Bowser

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

Manuel São Bento2023-01-30
★ 6/10
FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://www.msbreviews.com/movie-reviews/onyx-the-fortuitous-review-sundance-2023 "ONYX THE FORTUITUOS AND THE TALISMAN OF SOULS surprised me! A viral internet character - who I was unaware of - in a feature-length film? I dunno. But the unique comedy, silly fantastical story & amusing makeup/costumes were right up my alley! More heart than I expected." Rating: B-
Louisa Moore - Screen Zealots2023-04-23
★ 8/10
By: Louisa Moore / www.ScreenZealots.com It’s been a long, long time since I have laughed as heartily at a film as I did when I watched “Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls,” an absolutely hysterical project from start to finish. Based on a viral internet character created by writer, director, and star Andrew Bowser and financed by a Kickstarter campaign, all signs point to something disastrous that should be a completely terrible stinker at best and thoroughly unwatchable at worst. But there’s magic afoot here, and this surreal, cartoonish, and goofy movie is destined to become a cult classic among midnight audiences. Satanist Marcus J. Trillbury, aka Onyx, (Bowser) works the grill at the town’s local fast food joint. He knows that he’s destined for something greater, a feeling that becomes reality when he gets some surprise news: a personal invitation to Bartok the Great’s (Jeffrey Combs) dark mansion, where he will participate in a special ritual along with four other carefully chosen souls. Blinded by the excitement of meeting his idol, it takes Onyx and his new friends a bit longer than it should for them to realize the intentions of their host and his assistant (Olivia Taylor Dudley) are far more nefarious. A weekend of personal enlightenment turns into a life-or-death situation of eternal damnation, and Onyx may have to muster the courage and confidence to step up and become the world’s savior. It’s so silly and absolutely bonkers, but the larger than life characters make the story. Bowser is just a funny guy, and his co-stars (Terrence ‘T.C.’ Carson, Arden Myrin, Rivkah Reyes, and Melanie Chandra) are perfectly cast and extremely likeable. Everyone’s comedic timing is pitch perfect, and nearly every single joke attempt actually lands successfully. From Meatloaf musical interludes and secret passageways to supernatural hijinks, there’s never a dull moment. Bowser’s direction feels like it’s better suited to a YouTube video, and it’s very straightforward and not all that cinematic. This isn’t a problem considering the focus on the strength of the characters and the tone and style of the movie versus the director’s skill and visual prowess. There are some mediocre computer generated special effects that are thankfully overshadowed by some terrific puppetry, but both still make the film a lot of fun. While this movie is a wacky one-of-a-kind affair, it did remind me of other cult greats that revel in their celebration of the oddball weirdo, like “The Greasy Strangler,” “Willy’s Wonderland,” and “Napoleon Dynamite,” but with an even more unique, offbeat brand of absurdity. I can guess that this one will divide audiences into one of two camps: they’ll either view is as the midnight masterpiece that it is, or a complete and total disaster. Yes, “Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls” is absolutely silly and ridiculous, but if you share Bowser’s, I dunno, sense of humor, this is a movie that will have you crying tears of joy through side-splitting laughter. I absolutely loved this outlandish, hilarious horror comedy.