A devilish blend of splatter and suspense sees director Eli Roth on wildly creative form with inspired nods to The Blair Witch Project and The Exorcist. However, the former’s hip, documentary-style angle throws up improbable scenarios that, even within the horror-verse, border on absurdity. Nevertheless, The Last Exorcism cleverly dissects and reassembles the possession sub-genre, luring viewers into seemingly familiar territory that soon reveals an intricate web of supernatural intrigue.
Faux-exorcist Reverend Cotton Marcus (Patrick Fabian) breaks the brooding, do-gooder priest mould as he openly confesses the financial exploitation of his followers. With a special effects-laden repertoire of smoking crucifixes and invisible wires, the evangelist goes about his fraudulent business of “exorcising” imaginary demons from gullible Christians. Though Cotton’s god-fearing customers generously reward these elaborate magic tricks, the Reverend finally chooses to end the charade, showcasing his very last exorcism in a behind-the-scenes documentary. The preacher’s final excursion leads him to rural Louisiana, where a desperate father seeks help for the possessed, sixteen-year-old Nell (Ashley Bell). Poorly educated and riddled with redneck stereotypes, the family appear blissfully easy pickings. But despite a convincingly theatrical performance, Cotton finds the girl’s episodes growing increasingly sinister.
Although drenched in carnage, The Last Exorcism is a deliciously slow-burning offering loaded with shock twists and turns. The nightgown-clad Nell is a particularly ingenious character, whose exaggerated innocence harks back to The Exorcist’s child victim. Indeed, Roth delivers an intelligent parody, supplying plenty of black comedy to balance the movie’s harrowing content. But, inch by inch, this playful façade slips away to reveal an altogether more complex character whose demonic antics include gratuitous and psychological scares alike. Though The Last Exorcism plays impressively with gore and supernatural contortion, the movie also offers a sonic feast of ghoulish sound effects that, alongside its horrific climax, leave the viewer wired and quaking with adrenalin.
While the film’s mockumentary style follows a popular trend, this rather restrictive lens leads to inevitable complications, compromising its gritty, “real life” appeal. Most disconcerting of all is the fact that the cameraman persists in filming a scene that any half-sane victim would have long since abandoned. And although the viewer is subsequently treated to a close-up shot of a descending axe, there’s no doubt that, with the fatal blow, every last shred of logic is sacrificed in favour of an ultimately cheap thrill.
OVERALL SUMMARY
Despite a few impossible elements, this demonic chiller remains a cutting-edge slab of hugely entertaining horror.
