p align=’justify’>The excellent Laura Linney stars in this compelling courtroom horror drama based on the true story of German girl Anneliese Michel, who died as the result of a failed exorcism. Her Parish priest subsequently went to court charged with negligent homicide.
The film captures your attention from the moment it begins thanks to its clever nod to The Exorcist and its atmospheric setting. We are then introduced to a selection of mostly likeable characters, played by likeable actors who add great warmth and compassion to their respective roles.
Jennifer Carpenter is a revelation as she manages to evoke great sympathy for a character we only ever see in flashbacks and hear about from other characters, despite limited screen time.
The story is well crafted, leaving plenty room for audiences to make up their own minds about what really happened on that fateful Halloween night. One of the things I enjoyed most about the movie was that, like the lawyers in the film, it showed two possible sides to every creepy incident by backing things up with a visual scientific explanation.
OVERALL SUMMARY
A well crafted and engaging film with great visual style, and yet another nice score from Christopher Young.
