- Directed by: David Midell
- Written by: David Midell, Enrico Natala
- Stars: Al Pacino, Dan Stevens, Ashley Greene
- Run Time: 1 Hour, 38 Minutes
- Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOTGjxMb2Jo
Spoiler-Free Judgment Zone
It’s a movie based on the 1928 exorcism of a young woman named Emma Schmidt. The cast is very good. As far as films go, it’s well made though kind of slow at times. Overall, it didn’t feel like anything we hadn’t seen before. It didn’t do much for either of us.
Spoilery Synopsis
We see a very frightened priest praying as credits roll.
Nine days earlier, in 1928 Iowa, the priest, Father Joseph Steiger, gives his sermon and mentions that his brother just recently died. The bishop shows up unexpectedly and hands him the psychiatric report on a very troubled woman. The woman’s parish wants to do an exorcism. Father Riesinger has been assigned to do that, but they want to do it here, at Steiger’s church.
Steiger sets up a private train car for Emma Schmidt, and he suggests to the train people that she’s a little crazy and a little dangerous, so they need to stay away from her. Father Theophilus arrives, and he’s a little strange. He explains what he needs to do the ritual. Riesinger and Steiger don’t agree that it’s a supernatural problem; the old man is sure that it is, but Steiger is more rational about it all, suspecting mental illness.
They get everything set up and start the first ritual. The religious people all say a blessing, and Emma goes into convulsions. That’s pretty much it for the first day.
On the second day, it’s much the same, but Emma tries to get all sexy with Steiger and attacks Sister Rose, yanking out a bunch of her hair. Riesinger says that’s why he wanted her restrained, so Steiger has to agree.
On the third ritual, they tie Emma down, and the convulsions get excessive. This time, furniture in the room starts to fall over and move.
One the fourth day, Emma asks about Stieger’s dead brother, and Riesinger burns her with a cross. By the next day, she’s all covered in sores and blisters. One of the nuns gets her hand crushed.
Steiger learns that Riesinger knew Emma when she was a little girl and thinks there’s something wrong with that. The two priests debate the whole project. The Mother Superior wants this whole thing to be done; she gives them one more week. She also wants Emma moved to the basement.
Stieger starts getting more and more distracted and obsessed with the whole thing, and so are the parishioners. The bishop shows up for an inspection, and he’s not pleased either, but insists that they continue. Steiger admits to Sister Rose that he doesn’t know what he’s doing.
There are more rituals, and they get more and more upsetting for Steiger. Weird things start happening all through the convent. Riesinger gives him a pep talk.
Riesinger says this is the final battle, they can’t stop or let up any more. Emma escapes into the catacombs (in Iowa?) and they all go looking for her. They find her, and it all gets very loud and dramatic. Finally, everyone works together, and the evil is sucked right out of Emma.
Brian’s Commentary
Yep, it’s another exorcism movie with two priests and an excess of angst.
Al Pacino plays “doddering old man” really well, but he’s not very interesting. I have no idea what was up with that accent. Dan Stevens is great as always. The acting overall is good, with the exception of Pacino who’s clearly playing a stereotype.
There are numerous “jump scares” that are simply loud noises covering something pretty mundane. The special effects, what there are of them, are really minimal. The shaky camerawork is overdone to the point where it gets annoying. Maybe the worst part is that we’ve seen it all before and this movie adds nothing new to the genre.
Kevin’s Commentary
They lost me right at the beginning when they said it’s based on true events from the most documented case of demonic possession in history. Information about the real case is kind of interesting https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Ecklund. Apparently it was successful in 1928 and Ecklund (a pseudonym given to her to protect her identity) only exhibited “milder” and “quite manageable” possessions after that.
Did they elevate my opinion as the movie went along? Well, it had a powerhouse duet of actors in the two lead roles and Abigail Cowen does a fine job as Emma, as does the other cast. And as a movie it’s decently put together, if a little slow at times. But it’s an hour and a half of “possession” symptoms and priests showing that God is all powerful as long as you say the right combination of magic words with rituals. They do have plenty of shaky cameras, loud music, and the occasional jump scare to spice things up.
I’d say I wasn’t impressed, and I was barely entertained.
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