OMM2024 - Night 20: The Last Exorcism (2010)

 Another exorcism entry this year- and it's another one that doesn't follow the tropes of this genre. #OctoberMovieMarathon

Night 20 

8/10

A preacher decides to come clean about his fraudulent ways by documenting a trip to a rural Louisiana to perform his last exorcism.

I liked this movie! It surprised me as beat by beat it kept me guessing what was happening. I also had no idea this was a found-footage mockumentary movie. I think the best part about this, is it starts off with the preacher and he's not committed to the idea that demons are real at all. In fact, he starts off the movie, not with a crisis of faith, but with the acceptance that comes after a crisis of faith where faith didn't win out. He's charismatic and it's just an interesting perspective to have the preacher be the one who's not convinced. I think this one is well shot, well acted, and I enjoyed this different take on an exorcism movie. Definitely put this one on your list to watch!

And two fun facts for you: most of the characters share a first name with their actors and Ashley Bell (who plays Nell) does all the bends and twists herself! She's really that flexible!

SPOILERS START BELOW THE POSTER!

SPOILERS START HERE!

It's such a cool idea to have the reluctant one be the preacher, and the family is totally convinced (well almost all of them). I really didn't know where things were going towards the end, there's a lot of twists I don't want to spoil. In face the final reveal had me gasping with my hand over my mouth at how it changed what I just watched.

Nell is so likeable and sweet, but she's got great physicality and control over her face. Very spooky. I especially loved the first exorcism, where we cut back and forth between Cotton (our preacher) explaining how he plans to "fake" the exorcism and the exorcism itself- where Nell (our possessed girl) and her father are filling their roles exactly. It's so... freaky to watch someone calmly explaining "here's how I'll trick them" and then our poor girl getting actually worked up and freaked out by what's happening.

I do get a personal quandary from this sequence in particular. Since the conflict rests in us, the audience, knowing that Cotton doesn't believe what he's saying and is still profiting off of it. And though in the normal church at the start that seems to be fine- things feel different when we get to see the horror and confusion the family deals with during this first exorcism. Even if they feel better afterwards, does that make it okay? It's a topic I've often had shower arguments with myself... if "no one gets hurt" is there harm? And I honestly think this scene might readjust my own beliefs on that front... Which ironically, is where Cotton starts this film off at- he's already disillusioned and has decided he's stopping and documenting what is wrong about his setup. (such a good setup, I said that already but it's so true!)

Oh and the pictures! The drawings that give you some foreshadowing- I love that then we don't need to actually see what happens at the end since we saw them. It makes for a very tactful final climax.

The other thing I appreciated was that we don't ever really get to know the documentary people. They're in the action, and as the story goes more and more off the rails- we hear them talk more. But the movie doesn't go out of it's way to show them, their faces, or even their names. They are actually shooting their footage like professionals, they don't talk when the camera is running, we don't see them on screen very much, and it just feels more real that way. It's a subtle touch, but a really nice one that makes the opening sequence grounded, and emphasizes how scared everyone is getting as that professionalism starts to disappear.

I don't want to spoil the ending here- but I can say I'm very happy that I own the DVD of this movie, because I'm very interested in the director's commentary that's included. Shout out to physical media!