LAKE OCONEE — The Last Exorcism

PG-13 for disturbing violent content and terror, some sexual references and thematic material.



“The Last Exorcism” is one of those “what-was-old-is-now-new” type of horror films — less gore, more suspense. Blatantly influenced by “The Blair Witch Project” and “Paranormal Activity,” this film uses a single, shaky, hand-held camera for all scenes. Only this time, it is a (faux) documentary (or mockumentary) of a pleasant but charismatically cynical preacher wittily named Cotton Marcus (not quite Cotton Mather), played by the charming (and disarming) Patrick Fabian.  One notch above snake-handling but a full member of The-Give-Me-That-Old-Time-Religion school of jump-and-shout preaching, the Reverend Marcus has made a specialty of exorcism, even though he does not believe in demon-possession. He uses low cost special effects, more or less, for profit and for convincing the confused “possessed” that they are “cured.”

The good reverend lives in a Baton Rouge suburb with his wife and son but he does house-calls. He takes his documentary producer (female) and her cameraman (male) along. His possession case involves a family named Sweetzer which made me think of those licorice sticks make by Switzer, you know — those twisted sticks? You get it? Sweet but twisted?

The “possessed” in this case is an innocent, home-schooled, country girl of sixteen (played by Ashley Bell). Her name is Nell (as in Little Nell — as in Mr. Charles Dickens’ “The Old Curiosity Shop;” the main character being a tragic little tyke that melted the heart of a generation in the mid nineteenth century).

Her widower Papa thinks it is she who has been mutilating his livestock. Nell believes it too but remembers nothing. Her brother is not so sure. He is a scary teenager — sullen, sarcastic, and menacing; he sets the tense tone as soon as the con-man preacher and his film crew cross onto the farmer’s property.

After the pseudo-exorcist does his bit, he packs up to leave with his wad of cash as a reward. However, he soon realizes that something is amiss and returns just in time to witness his ingénue now growl and do a most impressive Cirque du Soleil like “gymnastical” twist and grunt that can be seen in most of the movie’s trailers.

Now, the creepiness sets in and it does not look like this film is going to be The Exorcist-Lite.

The actors make this film work. Patrick Fabian (I doubt if you know him) as the rogue preacher that appeals to even Church Ladies deserves most of the credit. But second place goes to Bell for her little possessed girl. She plays the religious farm-girl perfectly.

True, the ending is more obvious than a pig in a bakery shop…and it comes up too abruptly a severe case of cinematic interruptus. There are oodles of “illogicals” in the plot, but on the other hand, it is just a spooky movie, not a classic in our own time.

Accolades should be given to this movie for the lack of guts and gore — except for the brief glimpse of cow intestines (or was that a horse?) to remind us of livestock mutilations.

There are several snippets of humor mostly from the naughty preacher. When he demonstrates to the documentary crew that just about every community has urban legends of horror tales with an alien landing here and there, I actually chortled out-loud. It was well placed and well-played, I think.

Even though the ending may disappoint, it is worthy of forgiveness. And perhaps this film’s release should have been saved for Halloween, but frankly it was fun and since the horror genre is saturated with clichéd slash and gash and guts and gore, it is nice that, for once, I got scared by talent rather than by special effects.

“The Last Exorcist” earns four bow ties out of five.