Directed by:
Scott DerricksonCinematography:
Scott KevanComposer:
Christopher YoungCast:
Eric Bana, Edgar Ramirez, Olivia Munn, Sean Harris, Joel McHale, Dorian Missick, Jenna Gavigan, Chris Coy, Sean Nelson, John Cenatiempo, Ivan Cardona (more)VOD (4)
Plots(1)
New York police officer Ralph Sarchie (Eric Bana), struggling with his own personal issues, begins investigating a series of disturbing and inexplicable crimes. He joins forces with an unconventional priest (Edgar Ramirez), schooled in the rituals of exorcism, to combat the frightening and demonic possessions that are terrorizing their city. Based upon the book, which details Sarchie's bone-chilling real-life cases. (Screen Gems)
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Reviews (12)
If it weren’t for the authors pushing the horror elements, I’d even rate it with all five stars. But not only were the occasional jump-scares cheesy, they were also pointless. They were just there to try and create a distinguished atmosphere that the movie already had without them. And that was mostly due to the great combination of story and atmosphere which was definitely inspired by the legendary movie Seven. But after I watched the movie, I was shocked by the fact that it was – once again – based on true events. I can’t help but think that I haven’t seen a familiar story in the news or heard someone speak about a similar experience. It’s always introduced by these sorts of horrors that try to assure us that all that exorcism is based on true events. Isn’t the actual truth going to be a little different? Or maybe it’s a ploy to support the Church? And Eric Bana was great in this, but the authors could have done without the final scene.
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The elements of ghost horror movies set in an A-rated thriller a la Se7en – a tough cop with a flashlight finds his way
through the darkness. The script is not exactly inventive, but the craftsmanship is perfect. Scott Derrickson knows what he’s
doing. The main character is not a one-dimensional good guy; he has his own skeleton in the closet he has to deal with.
The atypical priest becomes an important sidekick. The film is aided by its fast pace, the hellish make-up of the main bad
guy (Sean Harris, who plays him, also deserves praise) and the instrumentally varied music by Christopher Young, which
is monumental bordering on frightening. The slow start escalates into an intense horror experience. The use of music by
The Doors is strange, but it gives the film a certain cool feel and individuality. “Vengeance always destroys the avenger.”
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One day, Catholic cop Sarchie got blind drunk and had a fit at the jukebox playing The Doors. And now there’s a humorous police crime buddy exorcist horror “inspired by true events" where, thanks to the width of the genre, you don’t get clichés you’ve seen a hundred times over from just one or two, but from three genres at once. So situations arise where separate clichés meet in clashing combinations and create something completely new, often bizarre or downright ridiculous, but always (however unintentionally) entertaining. If only it could decide what it wants to be, if it were shorter, if only it didn’t run off naively into ridiculous situations (welcome to the tomb with the twisting Morrison or the furry owl) if only the frights weren’t so cheap and pre-warned, if only Ramírez had at least a pinch of charisma, if only McHale weren’t Jeff from Community, if only this, if only that, this could have been good, very good. Unfortunately, there are too many “if only"s for one picture.
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The film combines very well the quality filmmaking craft of an A-list name in the director's chair, fine acting by the lead duo, a dark and gritty line of detectives driving through a dirty town, and excellent scares and ghostly themes. It's all the more disappointing then that after a fantastic first half in every way, the film seems to have revealed all its cards and by the end it arrives as a very mediocre exorcist flick without a shred of invention, a memorable conclusion or an appealing denouement. In fact, this is pretty much how the film goes to waste, because during the first half I was screaming with joy at what a great film Scott Derrickson had made. Quite a shame.
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The only problem with Derrickson's film is that it presents exactly the type of horror that any experienced viewer is currently oversaturated with: ghosts, strange noises under the bed, a peculiar priest, exorcisms. This template is so tired that despite the director's enormous skill, which holds the viewer's attention throughout and searches for themes beyond all James Wan's ghost stories, the film doesn't have much chance to break through. Big plus points just for pushing an interesting detective storyline, for the music by The Doors, and for Eric Bana, who's still got it. But even that is not enough to satisfy me this time... 70%
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