Review of The Devil Inside (2012) by Ilhm — 31 Jan 2013

Isabella travels to Italy along with a documentary filmmaker hoping that together they can unravel the mystery behind her mother's failed exorcism, which resulted in the deaths of three clergymen in the basement of her childhood home.

What they discover will be more shocking than anything they could have imagined as they enlist the help of two newly-ordained exorcists to help free her mother from demonic possession. THE DEVIL INSIDE exacerbates an already unlikely scenario using the popular "found footage" technique, which works as a disadvantage just as much as it aids in the realism on screen.

It is difficult to accept that the governing bodies in the hospitals and churches would allow a cameraman to enter, let alone the fact that he would jeopardize his well-being for the sake of the film.

The style does produce some truly unnerving moments, however, particularly in the disturbing basement exorcism in which contortionist Pixie Le Knot performs several gut-wrenching maneuvers. The story quickly loses focus and asks way too much of its audience as we near the final third of the film, at which point it becomes entirely unbelievable.

The filmmakers then have the audacity to hock the film's website for updates on the case, as if anyone would visit after being left with such a jumbled and inconclusive ending. Momentary shocks are not enough to win over modern audiences, who crave convincing characters and storytelling with their scares.