Movie Review: The Last Exorcism

Patrick Fabian is a confident leading man in The Last Exorcism. Photo / Supplied

Does the world really need another exorcism movie? I wondered that as I went into this unassuming little project which managed to do something very rare for a horror flick - it surprised me.

Constructed as a documentary, it introduces us to Cotton Marcus (Patrick Fabian), an evangelical minister who has continued his preacher pop's tradition of performing "exorcisms" on people who believe they or their kids may be possessed. But Marcus has no illusions about the reality of his actions, and has gone along with the charade because it seems to help those afflicted. Resolving to end his charlatan ways, he invites a camera crew to his final demon-extraction on an isolated farm, where things take a turn for the creepy.

To say a film succeeds principally due to low expectations sounds like a backhanded compliment, but this film cultivates its low-budget feel. The dearth of name actors helps greatly, and the hitherto unknown Fabian proves an impressively confident leading man. In subverting presumptions about the nature of evangelists, The Last Exorcism introduces a welcome new dynamic to the exorcism story.

Director Daniel Stamm effectively taps into the intimacy of the documentary format to draw the viewer closer to the characters, which only enhances the creepiness factor. The influence of the greats of the genre (Rosemary's Baby in particular) can also be felt.

A splendidly unsettling filmic experience.

Stars: 4/5
Rating: R16
Running time: 87 minutes

Out now.

- Herald on Sunday / View