On the way to being yet another mediocre exorcism clone with all the usual clichés, this movie does something interesting and, dare I say, unique? It also goes bugnuts insane. The flick kind of works as both an exorcism movie and as a send-up of an exorcism movie.

The flick starts with a priest exorcising a demon with all the usual clichés: floating bed, yucky demon face, tongue action, attempts at seduction, holy water, crosses, etc. And then the film flashes forward eighteen years and the same priest faces the same demon now possessing another young woman (who has all the usual signs… including pea soup!).

The first two acts of this flick have their moments but are kind of drag. The flick is handsomely produced and well acted but it’s just not doing anything particularly interesting. I was really thinking it was getting a low score but, on the way to the final showdown with the demon, things took a left turn.

The movie becomes… self aware? Funny? I’m not sure if it was intentional, but the priests go into the final battle seemingly having seen exorcism movies before. Which would suggest all the clichés have been intentional.

And I think that’s confirmed by the surprise turn the exorcism takes in that final act. No spoilers, but I found it very interesting and nothing I’d seen before. And it required all those clichés in order to land such a turnabout.

Also, as a reminder, the movie just goes bonkers. And I cackled. I laughed. This movie goes so far over the top, it summersaults and comes back around for another go. There’s no chance – no way – a rational movie maker could have created such campy demon possession imagery without having forked-tongue-in-cheek. Surely. Clearly. Right?

But maybe it wasn’t meant to be funny? Maybe they were serious… and given that unique spin the flick takes, there’s argument they were. In which case, the movie is an utter failure…. but that makes it an even bigger gas to watch.

I think this movie is a surprise watch if you are the kind of person who enjoys cackling at bad movies. This is up there with the great so-bad-its-good films. And if you are an exorcism flick aficionado, its spin on the formula should appeal regardless of the camp – or maybe because of it.

Score: 80