Director: Damien LeVeck
Year: 2020
Country: USA
Alternate Titles: N/A
Genre: Exorcism; Horror/Comedy
Plot:
Desperate to increase their viewership, a popular webcast that performs fake exorcisms carries on with their show as normal when they come to realize their intended target has actually become possessed by a real demon in retaliation for their trickery and deceit, forcing them to turn the tables on their lives to get away alive.
Review:
For the most part, this was a solid enough genre effort. One of its better aspects is the rather fun way in which this takes the idea of their trickery and production quality into a seemingly enjoyable exorcism show. With the behind-the-scenes look that we’re given here, ranging from the film-quality rigs and setups that are used to trick audiences into thinking they’re friends are genuine people in need of exorcisms, the acting classes they go through and the research that goes into the sort of production they’re attempting, this gives off quite an intriguing look at what they’re attempting to pull off with their show. Some of it’s inherently funny and charming how they pull it off to the point of being as popular as they are, as well as the obvious product placement that’s a sure sign of the fakeness they’re providing.
On top of that, the actual scenes of the crew being tormented and plagued by the sudden possession that occurs are a lot of fun and generate some genuinely creepy and enjoyable confrontations. With scenes of the possessed commanding everyday objects around them in supernatural means to cause harm and injury to others, including bursting flame tattoos into actual fire, breaking glass around their barefoot figures, forcing hallucinations that bring about their demise, trying to stop it, these scenes are fun and energetic, with some solid action and gore involved. Including an over-the-top finale that signals a far darker ending than what’s expected in a film like this, this one has a lot to enjoy about it, which holds it up for the most part.
There are a few slight problems with this one. One of the biggest issues is the seemingly random manner in which the possession takes place, as there's little build-up or notice about what's going on. As it's so last-minute, how she's supposed to take on the role, she seems to have no preparation for what's going on and how to deal with what they're trying to accomplish, so when she seems to go possessed, there's no real connection to what's going on. They have no real natural reaction as everything is immediately haywire, so there's nothing about what happens that feels realistic. Likewise, some of the CGI during the finale is a little unnatural and comes off as too cheesy for this type of effort, but otherwise, this one has a lot to like.
Overview: ****/5
Far more fun than expected and featuring some enjoyable elements to it, this one manages to have a lot to like that manages to hold it up over its few minor flaws that don’t really hold it back too much anyway. Give this a look if you’re a fan of these possession or supernatural-themed genre efforts, while those who aren’t into this style at all should heed caution.
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