Review: The Last Exorcism

Of all the strange plot happenings in the new thriller The Last Exorcism, perhaps the most mystifying aspect of the film is that it was produced by extreme horror meister Eli Roth (who served as an actor in Alexandre Aja‘s recently released Piranha 3D) and somehow still managed to acquire a PG-13 rating. Beyond that, many of the things you’ve probably read about The Last Exorcism hold true. The film mixes elements of The Exorcist (alongside its countless imitators–i.e. The Exorcism of Emily Rose) and a couple of specific works from Roman Polanski, and it displays these elements in a faux documentary format (think Blair Witch Project).

Having said that, don’t go in expecting a shock per second. The coming attraction trailer for The Last Exorcism is slightly deceptive. There are certainly several creepy scenes to speak of (the cat sequence is unforgettable) but overall, The Last Exorcism is surprisingly understated and relies on tone, character work, and atmospheric locations rather than CG, sudden shocks, and relentless gore. Furthermore, this film is more about preacher Cotton Marcus (played by Patrick Fabian) than it is about Nell (the young woman he’s brought in to exorcise). In this clever thriller, evangelist Cotton Marcus decides it’s time to hang up the cloth, but not before inviting a small documentary crew to follow him into a rural area in Louisiana where he opts to perform one last exorcism. Of course, Marcus is a showman. He doesn’t really believe in demons even though he’s the son of a preacher and has worked in a religious arena for most of his life. His thought process could very well change however, after witnessing the odd behavior exhibited by young Nell (played by Ashley Bell).

I enjoyed this movie quite a bit, particularly the first act. The film makers don’t simply throw Marcus into the thick of things. Instead, they spend the first thirty minutes of the picture setting up who this guy is, and as an end result, I really found myself pulling for him. It’s a tricky balancing act and Fabian pulls it off. On the one hand, his Cotton Marcus is a complete sheister, but on the other, he’s a likable, sympathetic sort. Bell is creepy and vulnerable as troubled Nell, and while she brings a child like innocence to the role, she also unleashes a fierce sexual charge. The Last Exorcism is one of those films that constantly plays with our perception of what is actually happening on screen. Is Nell possessed or does she have deep rooted psychological problems? Yes, there’s the age old debate between science and religion constantly going at it throughout the film, and without giving too much away, director Daniel Stamm and his screenwriters (Huck Botko and Andrew Gurland) take a stance, at least in terms of the story they’re telling, but you’ll have to wait until the end of the film to find out what it is. And it’s the wild, somewhat unpredictable conclusion that will divide audiences. It isn’t so much where the plot goes, but rather its refusal to elaborate. The Last Exorcism ends on a really abrupt note, and this will, no doubt, frustrate (and infuriate) many viewers.

Overall though, The Last Exorcism has a lot more upstairs than your average genre film. It isn’t simply out to shock. It challenges you to constantly question what you’re seeing. Its also an entirely new take on one’s belief structure. By the end of The Last Exorcism, Cotton Marcus’ belief structure is challenged, but not in the way you might be expecting. This film is a little rough around the edges (one of the big questions you may ask yourself is how the hell was the documentary footage recovered), but in the end, I found The Last Exorcism to be surprisingly effective.

Grade: B

– Adam Mast, Zboneman.com