Review by Stuart O'Connor
Stars Patrick Fabian, Ashley Bell, Iris Bahr, Louis Herthum, Caleb Landry Jones,
Tony Bentley, Shanna Forrestall, Justin Shafer | Written by Huck Botko & Andrew Gurland
UK certification 18 | UK RRP £24.99 | DVD Region 2 | Runtime 83 minutes | Directed by Daniel Stamm
The faux documentary format – is it, as some claim, becoming a little overdone in horror circles? Since the awful Blair Witch Project made the style popular, we've seen it used to good effect in such films as Cloverfield, the two [REC]s and Paranormal Activity. Now comes The Last Exorcism which, for me, once again shows that this format, when used properly, can be very effective.
It's the tale of Cotton Marcus (Fabian), a holy man and evangelical preacher who is renowned as an exorcist. He's intelligent, charming, very smooth ... and a complete fake. Having a crisis of faith, he's decided to give up the practise, and exposee the fakery for what it is, and so invites a documentary filmmaker (Bahr) to accompany him on what will be his last exorcism. From the hundreds of letters he recieveis, pleading for his help, he chooses the case of Nell Sweetzer (Bell), whose fundametalist father Louis (Herthum) claims is possessed by a demon and up to all manner of no good. So off they head to the Sweetzer farm in Louisiana, where Cotton hopes to expose himself, and all exorcists, for the fakes they are. They arrive to meet a seemingly sweet teenage girl, and despite Cotton believing her problems are psychological, they proceed with the "exorcism" at the insistence of Nell's father. But all is not quite as it seems.
I'm loathe to reveal any more of the plot, because that could be entering spoiler territory. Suffice it to say, this is an intelligent and effective thriller – thanks mainly to the performances of its two leads. Fabian is superb as the charismatic preacher seeking redemption for his sins. He makes Cotton a well-rounded, believable character who, despite all his wrongdoings, you can't help but like – and root for when things start to go a bit ... wrong. It's a great performance, as we see him struggle with both his faith and the events that are going on around him. But pivotal to the whole film is Bell as "victim" Nell Sweetzer, and damn is she good. In both the physical and psychological demands of the role, she is nothing short of astounding. She swings from the sweet and terrified teenage girl to a "possessed" monster with the skill of an actor much older and more experienced. Both she and Fabian must become breakout stars after this. The film itself delivers several good scares – and a sublime twist at the end – but there are a lot of laughs to be had, too. Nicely directed by German Daniel Stamm (it's only his third film), The Last Exorcism is proof that the faux documentary is alive and well, and in very good hands.
EXTRAS ★★★★ An audio commentary with producers Eli Roth, Eric Newman, Marc Abraham and Tom Bliss; audio commentary with director Daniel Stamm and actors Ashley Bell, Patrick Fabian and Louis Herthum; Witness to an Exorcism: Audio commentary with actual participants in a real life exorcism; The Devil You Know: The Making of The Last Exorcism; Real Stories of Exorcism: Interviews with Actual Victims and Participants; Interview with Stamm and Fabian; Interview with Roth and Bell; Actors’ Audition Footage: Ashley Bell, Patrick Fabian, Louis Herthum, and Caleb Landry Jones; 2009 Cannes Film Festival Teaser Trailer; Protection Prayer; Theatrical Trailer