Review of The Last Exorcism (2010) by Romeo H — 30 Dec 2011

"Reverend, if you can't save my daughter's soul, I will."The Last Exorcism is a "found footage" horror flick about a documentary being made on the subject of fake exorcisms.

A reverend who's been performing fake exorcisms for years has grown disillusioned with his actions, and travels to a small town in Louisiana to film his methods and expose his own deceptions. He does his usual thing, collects his money, and leaves to spend the night in a nearby hotel.

..but this particular exorcism isn't over. The Last Exorcism does some things very well. The faux documentary angle works, and so does the idea of a charlatan wanting to come clean, being confronted with the thing that he doesn't even believe in.

The things he does and says during his fake exorcism ultimately make a very dangerous situation for the young, allegedly possessed girl, and he ends up having to protect her as well as attempt to find out what's really going on.

The story twists and turns several times before the conclusion...perhaps too many times. The end is somewhat of a mess, to be frank. It tries too hard to keep the audience guessing, and ends up being a bit annoying, instead.

And after going it's own way for the most part, the finale ends up being an almost exact mishmash of two iconic movies in the genre. It's a bit of a deflating ending, actually.The Last Exorcism is a slow-burner, and relies on atmosphere and the "realism" angle a lot more than shocks or gore.

If you're okay with that, check it out. I liked it, but it's definitely a flawed experience.