The Last Exorcism, a film with plenty of good scares, and far more dramatic meat than its advertising campaign suggests. The trailer seems to have been aimed directly at the same crowd who flocked to Paranormal Activity, only to have their brain cells murdered by two dumpy kids trembling in fear of some purportedly spooky camera tricks.
Fortunately, The Last Exorcism rises above this admittedly low bar. The story is fairly interesting and explores themes of real weight. Reverend Cotton Marcus (Patrick Fabian) is preacher to a small, devout congregation in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Right away, we learn that his actual faith, if any, is a minor component of his calling.
He is a performer, even going so far as to use card tricks and sleight of hand to illustrate his sermons. He himself admits that he’s in it for the money, and consoles his conscience by emphasizing the peace of mind that his work instills in faithful flock, whether or not he believes what he is telling them. What a humanitarian.
In addition to his job in the pulpit, Marcus has made a bundle on the side as an exorcist. Here he crosses the line from dubious messenger of the spirit to outright charlatan… as far as he, a non-believer in actual demons, knows. In time, however, the reports of people harmed or killed in more sincere exorcisms have disillusioned even him, and he resolves to perform one last rite in order to expose the whole enterprise as a sham.
To this end, he brings a documentary crew along to an isolated farm, where a troubled father is convinced his gentle but sorely repressed young daughter, Nell (Ashley Bell) is possessed of a demon and mutilating his cattle. Marcus walks us through his exorcism con game, unbeknown to the father and daughter, who swallow the act all the way. His job done, he counts his absurdly large fee and hits the road. Everyone is happy.
Until Nell shows up, much worse off than before. Forced to dig deeper into the problem, Marcus discovers that Nell’s personal problems may require professional care. She begins exhibiting undeniable signs of either true demonic possession or deep, deep psychosis, and whatever the answer, Marcus resolves not to walk away until the answers come to light.
The sticky subject of exorcism has felt a modest revival in popularity, particularly with two recent films built loosely on true events – the stylish and abrasive The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005) and the beautiful, heartbreaking Requiem (2006). Like these films,
The Last Exorcism thoughtfully explores the conflict between the tenets of blind faith and the conventional wisdom of modern medicine, as well as the surprising reluctance of religious authorities to accept the possibility of the supernatural until absolutely forced.
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