Eighties ghost stories brought back to life in new film

Kids who grew up in Dartmouth in the 80s remember the tales and warnings of demonic cults lurking in the woods. Filmmaker and Dartmouth local Garry Medeiros brought these warnings to life in his latest film, “Sins of the Devil.”

“It’s almost like a mixture of Rosemary’s baby and maybe a slasher film,” is how he describes his movie. 

Medeiros started the film back in 2013 with his friend Chris Kelly. It got put aside while he worked on one of his other movies, “Plaga Zombie: American Invasion.” In 2022, he revisited the script for “Sins of the Devil” and he and Kelly decided to rewrite it and start working on the movie. 

They started filming in April of 2025 with a $3,000 budget and finished that year in September. They have been editing the movie together until its debut, which has not been announced yet, when the plot will be revealed. 

The film starts on the main character, Ashley’s birthday as she takes care of her sick grandmother. There is something off about her, and her friends try to stop her from pulling away from them. 

“It starts off as a home invasion type of thing, to a conclusion that people probably won’t be expecting.” Medeiros said, “The mystery is in learning the characters and why they’re acting the way they are.”

In the film, the audience will meet and get to know both the teenagers and some of the cult members. 

The movie is both set and partially filmed in Dartmouth. There are Dartmouth roads and spots like Cardoza’s Wines and Spirits named in the film. It was shot in Dartmouth, New Bedford and Westport and had actors from all around Massachusetts. 

This movie was different from others written and directed by Medeiros, as he typically does not have a partner. His last few films, “Plaga Zombie” and “The Terror Factor” he wrote and directed by himself. 

“I gave [Kelly] the idea and he kind of hit the ground running and he’d come back three days later with a full script in hand,” he said. 

The process for releasing “Sins of the Devil” continues after it is initially finished. The film’s sound is being edited by a musician in Argentina. After this, the film will be pieced together into a final product. Once the editing is done the movie will be submitted to film festivals and potentially companies or agents will reach out to him and Kelly with options. 

Medeiros grew up on Copicut Road with the ghost stories of satanic worshippers in the 80s. As a teenager, he would go into the woods and try to see stuff happening in the woods. 

He started making movies with a friend’s camera in middle school, with his first serious movie having been “Terror Factory.” 

“I think the fun part is overcoming the obstacles and the setbacks,” he said, “And once you get what you want on that screen it’s a very fulfilling job.”