Official Movie Website Theatrical Release 08/27/2010 Home Video Not Available MPAA Rating Rated PG-13 for disturbing violent content and terror, some sexual references and thematic material Running Time 100 Minutes Genre Horror Director Daniel Stamm Writer Huck Botko, Andrew Gurland Cast Patrick Fabian, Ashley Bell Studio Lionsgate |
THE LAST EXORCISM (2010)
SYNOPSIS
When he arrives on the rural Louisiana farm of Louis
Sweetzer, the Reverend Cotton Marcus expects to
perform just another routine "exorcism" on a... When
he arrives on the rural Louisiana farm of Louis
Sweetzer, the Reverend Cotton Marcus expects to
perform just another routine "exorcism" on a
disturbed religious fanatic. An earnest fundamentalist,
Sweetzer has contacted the charismatic preacher as a
last resort, certain his teenage daughter Nell is
possessed by a demon who must be exorcized before
their terrifying ordeal ends in unimaginable tragedy.
Buckling under the weight of his conscience after
years of parting desperate believers with their money,
Cotton and his crew plan to film a confessionary
documentary of this, his last exorcism. But upon
arriving at the already blood drenched family farm, it is
soon clear that nothing could have prepared him for
the true evil he encounters there. Now, too late to turn
back, Reverend Marcus’ own beliefs are shaken to the
core when he and his crew must find a way to save
Nell – and themselves – before it is too late.
--© Lionsgate
When he arrives on the rural Louisiana farm of Louis
Sweetzer, the Reverend Cotton Marcus expects to
perform just another routine "exorcism" on a... When
he arrives on the rural Louisiana farm of Louis
Sweetzer, the Reverend Cotton Marcus expects to
perform just another routine "exorcism" on a
disturbed religious fanatic. An earnest fundamentalist,
Sweetzer has contacted the charismatic preacher as a
last resort, certain his teenage daughter Nell is
possessed by a demon who must be exorcized before
their terrifying ordeal ends in unimaginable tragedy.
Buckling under the weight of his conscience after
years of parting desperate believers with their money,
Cotton and his crew plan to film a confessionary
documentary of this, his last exorcism. But upon
arriving at the already blood drenched family farm, it is
soon clear that nothing could have prepared him for
the true evil he encounters there. Now, too late to turn
back, Reverend Marcus’ own beliefs are shaken to the
core when he and his crew must find a way to save
Nell – and themselves – before it is too late.
--© Lionsgate
© 2003 St. Louis Movie Review Weekly. All rights reserved, except where indicated.
All movie titles, pictures, etc...are the property of their respective studios.
All movie titles, pictures, etc...are the property of their respective studios.
| ST. LOUIS MOVIE REVIEW WEEKLY |
Director Daniel Stramm’s The Last Exorcism soars at the box office capitalizing on its low budget and
production nod to the king of gore Eli Roth (Hostel). However, gore fans beware these PG-13 horror film
relies more on psychological thrills rather than intense gore. Marcus Cotton (Patrick Fabian), a
Protestant preacher questioning his faith and the existence of demons, decides he wants to unveil the
deception of exorcisms and invites a camera crew to film his last exorcism. Marcus has performed
many exorcisms in the past; however, he believes the “possessed” are suffering from a psychological
illness rather than demon possession and he hopes that by revealing this he may actually save lives.
Randomly choosing a letter from his pile of exorcism requests he sets out with the camera crew to a very
rural town in Louisiana. Filmed in the faux-documentary style made famous by the Blair Witch Project the
real story begins after Marcus is introduced to the Sweetzer family; Nell (Ashley Bell), Caleb (Caleb Landry
Jones), and Louis (Louis Herthum). Louis, who after his wife’s death became a fundamentalist Christian,
believes his daughter, Nell, must be under demonic possession. After performing an exorcist filled with
downloaded demon sounds and a smoking cross, Marcus leaves the Sweetzers filling healed. Shortly
after the exorcism Marcus and his crew go back out to the farm where everything Marcus thought he
knew is questioned. Luckily, the performances by Fabian and Bell are astounding because the all too
familiar exorcist theatrics are not enough to keep the film from dipping. Once the action gets going, the
audience will remain on the edge of their seat waiting for the next spine tinkling moment until arriving at
the end sequence. The end sequence is extremely disappointing and comes off as a cop out for a true
ending that leaves the audience chilled and mystified. This ending just leaves the audience upset and
confused.
production nod to the king of gore Eli Roth (Hostel). However, gore fans beware these PG-13 horror film
relies more on psychological thrills rather than intense gore. Marcus Cotton (Patrick Fabian), a
Protestant preacher questioning his faith and the existence of demons, decides he wants to unveil the
deception of exorcisms and invites a camera crew to film his last exorcism. Marcus has performed
many exorcisms in the past; however, he believes the “possessed” are suffering from a psychological
illness rather than demon possession and he hopes that by revealing this he may actually save lives.
Randomly choosing a letter from his pile of exorcism requests he sets out with the camera crew to a very
rural town in Louisiana. Filmed in the faux-documentary style made famous by the Blair Witch Project the
real story begins after Marcus is introduced to the Sweetzer family; Nell (Ashley Bell), Caleb (Caleb Landry
Jones), and Louis (Louis Herthum). Louis, who after his wife’s death became a fundamentalist Christian,
believes his daughter, Nell, must be under demonic possession. After performing an exorcist filled with
downloaded demon sounds and a smoking cross, Marcus leaves the Sweetzers filling healed. Shortly
after the exorcism Marcus and his crew go back out to the farm where everything Marcus thought he
knew is questioned. Luckily, the performances by Fabian and Bell are astounding because the all too
familiar exorcist theatrics are not enough to keep the film from dipping. Once the action gets going, the
audience will remain on the edge of their seat waiting for the next spine tinkling moment until arriving at
the end sequence. The end sequence is extremely disappointing and comes off as a cop out for a true
ending that leaves the audience chilled and mystified. This ending just leaves the audience upset and
confused.
By David Ladd
