SUMMONING SYLVIA (2023) {REVIEW}

In Summoning Sylvia, Taylor and Wyse have done a great job directing and creating a tight, low-budget, indie romp that should leave a smile on your face. Definitely worth considering for a light, evening’s entertainment if you want something a little spooky but light-hearted and warm.

Summoning Sylvia (2023)
Written and directed by Wesley Taylor and Alex Wyse

A gay bachelor party turns spooky when sinister spirits are suddenly summoned. (IMDB)

Larry (Travis Coles) is getting married. His best buddies, Nico (Frankie Grande), Reggie (Troy Iwata), and Kevin (Noah J. Ricketts) spirit him away on a surprise bachelor weekend at a mansion that is reportedly haunted by the spirit of Sylvia (Veanne Cox) who killed her son in that very house 100 years before. However, Larry was supposed to be spending time with his fiancé’s (Michael Urie) brother, Harrison (Nicholas Logan) before he was “kidnapped” by his friends, and he ends up inviting the very straight and troubled Harrison out to the house the join the celebrations.

This doesn’t go down too well with the others, especially when a séance potentially leads to Harrison becoming possessed by the spirit of Sylvia. As the friends try to figure out what is going on and the truth about Sylvia slowly emerges, a spooky gay farce plays out in front of our eyes.


And, to be fair, that is as much fun as it sounds.

I rarely laugh out loud at comedies when I watch them alone, but Sylvia managed to illicit a couple of guffaws from me during it’s short, but perfect run-time. The characters are suitably larger than life, from the flamboyant, thoughtful Larry and the erotically charged Nico, to the straight-shooting, nerdy Reggie and the repressed and confused Kevin. Once you throw the PTSD suffering ex-army Harrison into the mix, the potential for confusion, conflict and unexpected sex is considerably raised.


The film is polished and the cast are all great, just having a ball being over the top and fun, it is likely only the very hard-hearted who won’t raise a smile at this bunch. Sylvia is listed as Comedy, Horror and Thriller on IMDB and, while it isn’t particularly extreme in any of those cases, there are definite elements of all three – just don’t expect to be terrified out of your skin, or struggling not to wet yourself from laughing, unless you’re getting on a bit and your bladder is getting weaker like mine.

74 minutes is certainly a short film, but Summoning Sylvia does a lot with its meagre run-time, and I wouldn’t have had a problem with another 20 minutes or so with this group – it did feel like it was over a little too soon.


Overall, Summoning Sylvia delivers a message about friendship and acceptance and, while it isn’t very subtle, it is well-done and the film has real heart. Change and growth comes to all the characters by the end, and not just in the obvious ways you might expect.
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In Summoning Sylvia, Taylor and Wyse have done a great job directing and creating a tight, low-budget, indie romp that should leave a smile on your face. Definitely worth considering for a light, evening’s entertainment if you want something a little spooky but light-hearted and warm.

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