14 DAY TRIAL // Eli Roth is making his return to the horror genre with the Daniel Stamm-directed “The Last Exorcism,” which will see the light of day in the US on August 27 and is already getting positive reviews.
For those who love the horror genre and specifically this type of movie, “Exorcism” delivers as it promises – with a twist. Those thinking they’re about to see yet another film inspired by the 1973 classic will be proven wrong.
Coming from the same producer who gave us “Hostel,” on a script by Huck Botko and Andrew Gurland, “Exorcism” does a little more than just present the terrifying story of a woman whose body now belongs to Satan as Ain’t It Cool News says in an exhaustive review of the film.
In fact, it would seem that the entire film is working against the genre it made it possible, inserting here and there little giggles that mock it and by making of the priest – an expert in exorcism – a con out to make money off credulous people.
Thus, the focus on the film doesn’t fall on telling the girl’s story or, for that matter, of scaring people out of their wits, but rather on presenting the priest’s dilemma: return to faith or continue as before.
Ain’t It Cool News calls it a smart little film that comes to prove the genre hasn’t yet cannibalized itself and that it still has what it takes to pack a mighty punch without resorting to mind-blowing special effects (and budget).
“The Last Exorcism is a smart film that sneaks up and scares the hell out of you. It does a tremendous job of misdirection, while still very much telling the story it promises to deliver,” the review reads.
Other critics agree with this view, saying that, indeed, producer Eli Roth has again delivered a well put together production that stands as evidence good movie making is still possible even without a multi-million budget.
“The Last Exorcism makes first-rate use of religious doubt and religious extremism to concoct a novel horror-thriller clever enough to seduce unbelievers while satisfying the bloodlust of its congregation / fanbase,” John Anderson of Variety writes.
“It’s about the dark side of piety – the cultish wrath that can emerge out of the high and the mighty. At the center of it all, once again, is a teenage girl’s gnashing wrath,” Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly says.
Peter Travers of Rolling Stone also believes the appeal of the film goes beyond smart editing. “It’s not just the hand-held camera that will shake you up. The Last Exorcism gives you good reason to be very afraid of the dark,” he writes in his review.
Of course, as is always the case, there are also those who disagree but even they can’t bring themselves to deny the film stands apart from countless recent releases, be they of the same genre or not.
At worst, “The Last Exorcism” is a mediocre film, but still one that should be seen. Below is the trailer for it, see what you make of it.