Director: Robert Bain
Year: 2020
Country: USA
Alternate Titles: N/A
Genre: Exorcism
Plot:
Following a devastating terrorist attack, a woman who’s living with her step-sister grows increasingly concerned she’s becoming a victim of the same demonic entity that killed her mother, but when her sister is the one who’s seemingly targeted she turns to an old family friend for help battling the demonic entity inside her/
Review:
Overall, this was a solid and enjoyable possession effort. One of the strongest elements here is a highly intriguing setup and storyline that sets everything in motion which has some fun plotlines. A clever idea of wiping out the priests trained in exorcisms through a terrorist attack not only is a startling entry point into this but offers a rather intriguing idea that tends to be explored here with the church now unable to truly deal with the concept. That the sisters are then targeted and seemingly tortured by demonic forces in a similar manner that grows nicely over the course of the film from this factor which pays off in the second half.
From there, the film really picks up with the constant supernatural antics that are shown here. With the seizure in the bar that requires her removal from the premises, the flashback to their mothers’ freak-out as kids where she kills their father in front of them or the numerous hallucinations they both suffer from showing the demonic beings getting more forceful in their attacks, this gets quite enjoyable as their antics and attacks are given a nice hint to her condition that would require an exorcism to be performed which sets up the fun and over-the-top antics in the final half which also offer a nice heartwarming touch to everything. These are what hold this one up.
There are a few issues with this one. The main aspect within this one is the fact that the early build-up involving the growing realization of their predicament leaves this one a little slow-going. There’s too much on display here showing the two and their relationship both with each other and their past history that is necessary for giving an idea of how they’re going to change once they become possessed but is done in a wholly unsatisfying manner with a lethargic tempo that doesn’t invite the viewer into it all that much. It comes off as way too slow for what should be done here which is a distressing feature since it’s needed for later on.
The other aspect that holds this one down is the usual and wholly expected elements that are expected to show up in such films like this and do so without fail. It’s no surprise at all that the help of a fallen priest within the faith who regains his status following the ordeal is to come through here, and the trope of the exorcism itself is carried out in exactly the way you think would occur is how it happens. Regardless of their build-up, the somewhat fractured relationship between the sisters is a big part of the finale, and despite being a genre cliché just provides a routine and familiar feel here. These are the issues that hold this one back somewhat.
Overview: ***/5
A wholly expected and routine exorcism effort, this one still maintains a watchable attitude that’s fun to see play out here in a manner that doesn’t break the mold but isn’t awful enough to be discarded. Give it a look if you’re a fan of the creative crew or appreciate these kinds of genre efforts, while those who don’t like this style or just not interested in the genre should heed extreme caution overall.
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