The Last Exorcism Review

Written by: alex1176   

Eli Roth's exorcism film is a decent PG-13 horror flick. It may also be seen as dismal in the eyes of some viewers. But if you liked "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" (also PG-13), then you'll probably like this one too. Just don't expect "Paranormal Activity". It's not that scary, but it'll probably raise a few goosebumps at certain points. It also features good acting from a mainly unknown cast.

The movie, like "Paranormal Activity" and "Blair Witch Project", is presented as a documentary and opens with a Reverend preparing for Sunday morning service. His name is Cotton Marcus and he is, in fact, a non-believer. We learn this through his testimony regarding his beliefs about his son's healing. Yes, Cotton was raised by a Christian pastor and performed exorcisms at a young age, but he's what the Holy Bible identifies as a "wolf in sheep's clothing". 

He preaches God's Word to the masses, but doesn't believe in demons or God's holy healing power. Instead, Cotton believes that demon possessions can be rationally explained. And for his last exorcism, he creates the ultimate hoax to save a little girl from her own mind.

The movie has a strong premise and poses a major dilemma: is the girl's possession real or not? It could go either way since her father's reputation is rather questionable. He's either a man of God or a basket case. It's not an easy answer for either Cotton or the audience to figure out. But it is revealed in the final moments which borrows much from another major horror film.

"The Last Exorcism" isn't a great horror flick, but it's well-made and engaging throughout. The PG-13 rating robs it of any graphic content and that maybe refreshing for some. I kind of liked it, but it certainly wasn't the scarefest that "Paranormal Activity 2" proved to be.