The Last Exorcism is definitely a different experience for most movie goers. For the most part, we’ve all seen our fair share of exorcism movies. We know what to expect. We’re all used to the back bending, neck twisting, demon possessed girl and tragic story of the reverend that tries to save her soul. While The Last Exorcism follows the same formula and uses the same typical scares that we’re all used to, it’s the storyline and the way it is presented that makes this film different from all the other exorcism movies.
First of all, the movie is shot in a pseudo documentary style ala Cloverfield and The Blair Witch Project. Some might not be too big of a fan of that style of presentation, but for this movie it works. The first person hand held camera presentation gives the film a bit more of a human touch, like you’re watching a documentary on the history channel rather than an actual movie, and for most people that enhances the scares just tad bit.
As for the story, the movie is set in a remote farm and it follows a documentary team who documents Reverend Cotton Marcus as he performs his “last exorcism.” Cotton is not your traditional Reverend. Even though he performs these exorcisms, he doesn’t personally believe in demons or any sort of possessed spirit himself. He feels that it’s all in the head and all of it is an idea planted in ones brain and his exorcism is what releases this thought and frees the “possessed.” So when the Reverend is called upon to perform one last exorcism, he goes into it thinking it’s going to be another one of those overly superstitious Christianity families who become overly frightened over a possible possession. The Reverend has it set in his mind to expose modern day exorcism for the scam that it is, but once he arrives at the farm, it begins to dawn on him that he might be witnessing an actual case of a demonic possession.
For me most horror films don’t do much but offer a laugh, but not in the sense that the film is ha ha funny but more in the sense that the film is so bad that it’s funny. The Last Exorcism on the other hand for the most part is actually genuinely scary and not only that but it also offers a good laugh, not in the it’s so bad it’s funny but actual ha ha clever scripting funny. While The Last Exorcism does offer up some scares and moments where you should be on the edge of your seat, it’s not as consistent as most movie goers would like it to be. The first half of the movie is different and definitely intrigues the viewer and at one point the movie even gets frighteningly intense, but the movie’s lack of consistency and it’s fall back on clichés after clichés butchers what could have been a great film. I’m not usually a fan of horror films, particularly one that is shot using the first person hand held camera, but The Last Exorcism does offer up something different, a few good scares and for the most part a thoroughly entertaining film.
Grade: 6.5/10
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I was wondering the type of style at which they choose to shoot the film was it good? What I mean is when you wanted to see details of something the camera was steady right? Not all everywhere like they do with most films shot that way.
i always look for a good movie review first before watching new movies ::