Year: 2005
Country: USA
Alternate Titles: N/A
Genre: Possession
Plot:
Years after a traumatic event, a scarred priest joins an archaeological dig in Africa where the workers start experiencing strange traumas from a church buried in the sand and when it continues leads him to believe that evil has been unleashed and all of his faith is needed to fight it off.
Review:
For the most part, there really wasn't a whole lot to like about this one. Among the few enjoyable aspects here is that the film presents evil in a very dignified manner, which is a stark contrast to the other types of films on the subject. It presents the manner in a manner that would actually be accustomed to, and it is relatable to most people. The devil manifesting itself in a human guise is an issue that must be dealt with on an individual basis, and the struggles provided are more realistic and human than in most of the other films. Represented by both the connection of the evil in the past to the evils being committed around the site in the present day which once again is brought on his shoulders, especially the rambunctious British officer in charge of the dig that begins to really test him, this is a stellar setup to really bring home the film’s point. It's a great method of involving the viewer in the film that is greatly appreciated as this goes for such overt references to this situation and it’s quite appealing.
That is enhanced by the other outside forces keeping this one somewhat interesting as the forms of possession shown throughout here generate quite a strong first half. Some of these efforts are quite enjoyable with the way this builds up rather nicely, from the freak-out in the excavation to the discovery of the feral boy hanging out on the outskirts. When it starts getting more and more horrific with the maggot-riddled dead body birthed to the tribe to the slowly-healing body and threats of physical and spiritual harm if he’s to continue with his religious tactics, it’s no surprise then that it starts to get even more vicious with the more overt and immediate acts of violence committed here. That is especially true of the rampage at the school following the main outbreak at the camp which also sets up the finale in the church rather nicely. That is the other good part about this as the film also has some great moments towards the end in the church from the attempted baptism and the eventual confrontation with the indigenous tribe which carries on into the final exorcism attempt at the end to deliver a fun final half. Aside from these, though, there really wasn't a whole lot as there are a couple of things wrong.
The biggest criticism is it's far too slow here as the story is intense, but nothing else is. This is a drama-centered story if there ever was one, and what makes it even worse is that it's a dull drama to begin with. Had this been made in the vein of being entertaining, then it could've worked but the overall presentation is boring and very slow to get going. This is an intense crime right there that severely and quite heavily knocks it down. Also not helping is it's storyline makes little sense. There is an attempt to explain everything, but it's buried behind so much incomprehensible psycho-babble that trying to get it out is almost impossible with the whole connection between the different forces. It had some rare moments of potential but quickly left that as if unable to think that it can carry it along and revert back to the spiritual side of things that doesn’t offer anything. and wasn't all that special, to begin with. The other flaw is that the CGI in here is another disappointment, as it looks incredibly fake considering the rest of the film looks so good. It was told the creatures were supposed to be a threat, but there wasn't that much to them to be afraid of. These here are what hold this one down.
Overview:**.5/5
There really isn't a lot to like about this one, but it has enough to merit a look-over. There may be something of interest for some, but there may be a lot of wandering around waiting for something to happen. If you like psychological horror rather than over-the-top gore-fest then this is a recommended viewing, but the same goes for those who like a lot of action and no pretenses.
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