The Last Exorcism: Movie Review

The Last Exorcism: Movie Review

The Last Exorcism
Rating: 7/10
Cast: Patrick Fabian, Ashley Bell, Louis Herthum, Caleb Jones
Director: Daniel Stamm
'Tis the season for horror again - what with Paranormal Activity 2 currently scaring them up on DVD, there's still the market for a good spooking.
In this "documentary" filmed in Louisiana, Reverend Cotton Marcus (Fabian) is a man tired of the church milking those who believe in exorcism. He knows the act is a scam and one day, randomly selects a letter from someone begging for help to use a way to end the charade.
With a doco crew in tow, he heads to the Sweetzer farm in deep dark rural Louisiana, bible belt territory to help a family who claim their daughter Ashley is possessed by a devil.
But when they get there, despite the Rev's time spent debunking the exorcism "myth" and the tricks of the trade, they soon discover there's more to this case than meets the eye....
The idea of a preacher who's lost his faith and has to face evil is not a new one - but The Last Exorcism is a spooky, freaky and frightening ride.
Part improvised, the story is brought to life by an engagingly likeable Fabian as the Rev who's determined to give the church back its credibility. We watch as he debunks the theory and shows the tricks of the trade (using wire to shake walls and pictures); it's thanks to his underacting that the whole thing feels so real - and when the frights come at the Sweetzer farm, you really do feel that the event is unfolding in horrific ways.
Ashley Bell also deserves credit for her performance as the innocent girl who finds herself in the middle of a ghastly situation. From her naïve ways initially to her eventual contortions during her possession, it's unsettling and spooky; a genuinely convincing turn from a relative newcomer.
The gathering crescendo and resulting storm that plays out on the deserted farm leads to a slightly grotesque ending - and unfortunately one that falls foul of its own narrative device. The documentary works well but the subsequent ending falls short.
Without revealing too much, the denouement is frustrating and will be as polarizing as the end to The Blair Witch Project all those years ago - while it's an inevitable end and one which is in keeping with the film's tone, there will be some who'll feel it's a little hysterical.

That said, overall The Last Exorcism is a welcome original entry into the horror genre; it reinvigorates the brand and will leave you glad when the lights go up at the end.