It is unfortunate, then, that Chapiron's script (co-written with his father Christian) also has the ramshackle construction of such a joke. While there's a killer punchline regarding Joseph's mysterious, hugely pregnant wife Mary, it's precisely that point at which the narrative structure begins to collapse — it's such a show-stopping topper that it negates any other surprises Chapiron might have holstered. The third act is both superfluous and not informative enough.
For example, it's obvious that Joseph is in league with the Devil (and Eve's name wasn't just chosen for its palindromic perfection, either), so there's a certain level on which all there is to do is wait for the inevitable (which, when it arrives, is lifted from Jeepers Creepers). But in attempting to jazz things up, Chapiron muddies the clarity of the through-line. The dream sequence is well-played, but what is the impulse to dredge up forgotten characters (i.e. Jeanne) solely for the purpose of forgetting them again? And, indeed, what are we to make of the slapdash Christian iconography and the explicit earmarking of two characters as Muslim? (I think it depends on whether the Joseph-and-Mary symbolism is a perverse joke or a willful misunderstanding.) Kim's got a lot of ideas, which is good, but he's attempted to jam them all into a ninety-minute horror film, which isn't so good. Not even a bellowing, red-eyed Cassel crashing headlong through a window as though it were paper can keep the wrap-up from feeling like a surfeit of wasted opportunity.
Still, Sheitan has a lot going for it. It's got moxie, a kinetically trashy spirit and a brazen willingness to offend. It's got a flashy visual style from Chapiron. And most importantly, it's got madman Vincent Cassel going as full-bore nutzoid as a well-respected actor ever has. I'm not sure Sheitan is a good film, but I wouldn't dissuade you from giving it a look. I might give it another look myself.
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