MOVIE: THE LAST EXORCISM
A mildly derivative horror-thriller, this faux documentary splices aspects of a myriad of scary movies into a considered, largely entertaining movie. Cotton Marcus (Patrick Fabian), a Louisiana preacher who no longer believes in the effectiveness of exorcisms, embarks on a journey to debunk the practice, with documentary crew in tow. The initial set-up feels true and folksy, with painstaking detail and engaging acting. The disillusioned preacher chooses a seemingly possessed teenage girl, living on an isolated farm with her widowed father and enigmatic brother, to be his last exorcism. The haunted girl, Nell (Ashley Bell) is at times a sweet innocent, at times a menacing demon. Her condition worsens and the preacher and film crew are left feeling responsible for the demented teen. An unexpected charm of this thriller lies in the tender treatment of the protagonists, who blunder along attempting to help the young girl. Unfortunately, the care taken in the film is undermined by the ending, which is so awful it seems the film’s creators gave up – or worse, deliberately made the movie into a joke. (OA)
