The Last Exorcism

I've always been a big fan of Exorcism films. Even though I count myself among the ranks of non-believers, I am keenly aware of the profound dramatic power of a good Vs. evil yarn done right. To get comparisons to the Friedkin classic out of the way up front, I would say stacked up next to each other, The Exorcist and The Last Exorcism might resemble a side by side look at a Bengalese Tiger and a common house cat. That is to say, they share some of the same primordial traits, but aren't really the same species.

The Last Exorcism is competent enough and boasts a couple of truly nerve wracking sequences that make good use of the camcorder verite format, but ultimately, it's that manner of presentation that proves its undoing. There is a visceral thrill that can be captured by this trendy approach to storytelling, but as it is employed again and again and ad nauseum applied to every single sub genre of horror, it's becoming clear how short sighted and gimmicky it truly is. I see how the facebook/youtube generation is seemingly fascinated by it and I understand that. You're talking about a demographic that values immediacy of content delivery over purity of craft. These are kids who are willing to watch Avatar on a 2-inch cellphone screen, so what do they care if minor things like shot composition, visual metaphor and sound design are sacrificed in favor of ready made stinger images to punctuate television advertisements? Of course I'm not suggesting that ALL of today's youth has such a narrow view of film and that all "first person" films are devoid of subtext or lasting relevance, I'm just saying 90% of the kids going to see this are going to be on their phone though most of the movie. Make of that what you will.

The thing I like about Demon possession films is the battle over faith and The Last Exorcism admittedly has a novel approach to the antagonists struggle. He's lost his faith in some respects, but is still a good man who wants to help people. He's not some alcoholic sitting in the dark nurturing a grudge against his absent creator. He's an imminently likable fellow who wants to do right by his family and perhaps do some good within the confines of a profession he's naturally gifted at. The film also strums some unique chords concerning the schism between tolerating backwards, fundamental belief systems and when action must be taken to protect the powerless trapped in that situation. So there's some strong performances and some genuinely interesting theological gristle to chew on and the film definitely needs to be commended for that.

The problem is that it lacks the courage of its convictions. It sets up a host of well developed characters and when it comes time to bring the hammer down on them with all the histrionic terror and tragedy duelling with the Devil entails, it blinks. It steps back from the brink of being a powerful, thought provoking exploration of faith (which is the heart of why Exorcism films are so compelling) with a hard left turn into silliness courtesy of a telegraphed plot twist that not only strains credulity and rips off a film as shitty and forgettable as The Reaping, it ultimately derails all point or purpose the preceding 90 minutes had.

Which brings me to the ending and the fatal flaw of films of this ilk. The jagged cut is not an ending make. I can no longer abide a movie ending with the narrator/protagonist being quickly killed in an jostling of activity, then a static shot of the ground. It's become such a predictable joke since it was first done in the execrable Blair Witch Project. It's ironic that the only thing that worked in that putrid student film was the chilling ending, and it hasn't meant anything or been nearly as successful in the subsequent 10 years of imitation. When you end a film like that, it invalidates all that happened before it and disregards the emotional investment of the audience. In the case of the Last Exorcism, that tawdry conclusion, coupled with the jarring tonal shift of the tacked-on third act makes for a one-two K.O. punch.

I don't outright hate this film or anything, it tried real hard to tell its little story and had honorable intentions toward its intended audience. It just was too underwhelming, too flaccid and too of its time to be anything other than a missed opportunity. Better luck next time Daniel Stamm. Get yourself a tripod and try not to wimp out when its time to focus on the horrific aspects of your horror film.