The Exorcism from director Joshua John Miller is a story about Anthony Miller, a down and out former alcoholic and addict actor who lands the role in a remake of a famous horror film after the original star of the remake suffered a deadly accident on the set. At the same time, Anthony’s estranged daughter Lee comes to live with him after being kicked out of school. As the filming goes on, Anthony’s behavior becomes strange and erratic, leaving his daughter to wonder if he has fallen back on his old habits or if there is something darker taking hold of her father. The best description for The Exorcism is the same description the on-screen director gave about the remake they were making; “a psychological drama wrapped in the skin of a horror movie.” The story here is more about exorcizing your inner demons than it is about demonic possession. Russell Crowe puts in one of his best performances as Anthony. You feel the character’s depression, struggles with addiction, and challenges he is facing in the unforgiving industry that is Hollywood. You can also feel his confusion as he tries to work out if the cause of his behavior is because of his vices or due to an actual demon inside him. You are sympathetic towards him and his daughter who still loves him but can’t forgive him for his past actions. Ryan Simpkins puts in a solid performance as Lee, and has a great connection with Crowe. The two felt like an authentic father/daughter pair, and that dynamic is the heart of the film. I also liked the chemistry between Simpkins and Chloe Bailey who plays Blake Holloway, one of Anthony’s co-stars. I would have liked to see Bailey get more screen time. Blake was mostly there to be the love interest for Lee but thanks to Bailey’s performance, you could tell there are more layers that were never explored. There are a lot of meta references going on in The Exorcism. It is directed by the son of Jason Miller who played Damien Karras in The Exorcist. A number of sets in the movie within the movie are very similar to sets in The Exorcist, especially the bedroom. Some of the lines of dialog Anthony Miller has are also very similar to Damien’s dialog. The idea that the movie being made is cursed is a reference to the idea that the original Exorcist film was cursed. This parallel is enforced with Peter, the director of the remake. Peter is played by Adam Goldberg, and I do not think it is a coincidence he looks very similar to John Landis. Landis directed Twilight Zone: The Movie which is also considered to be a cursed film. After the opening scare, it takes a while for The Exorcism to get into a full horror groove. There are creepy demonic moments peppered along the way but it doesn’t get back to being full-blown horror until the final fifteen minutes. The moments we do get are very effective, such as a subtle gimmick they do with Crowes’ eyes and a rather abrupt and brutal kill of a supporting character. Many old-school techniques are used such as a disturbing sound design, with use of shadows and a moody soundtrack to help underscore the creepy tension.
For those looking for wall-to-wall horror or foul mouth tirades punctuated with excessive amounts of bodily fluid being thrown across the room, The Exorcism will not be for you. If you are looking for a horror themed drama about inner reflection, coming to terms with your past actions and starting the process of healing then you will want to check it out. As a straight horror film, I would give it 2.5 out of 5 but as a dramatic film with horror elements I would give it a 3.5 out of 5 for the direction and the excellent performance of Russell Crowe. #theexorcism
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Do you ever wonder what the time in between victims was like for Jason Vorhees or Michael Meyers? The walking from destination to destination? Director and writer Chris Nash decides to answer that question with In a Violent Nature, an indie slasher film that is told from the perspective of the slasher. Not just any type of slasher, specifically the camp slasher. In a Violent Nature, a couple of campers end up taking a locket they find hanging from a hook in a collapsed fire tower. This awakens the body of Johnny, a victim of a sixty-year-old crime. This resurrected soul leaves a trail of blood and guts in its wake as it searches for the stolen locket and seeks revenge on those who stole it. In A Violent Nature is a creative approach to a straightforward story we have seen many times before. For the majority of the film, the audience follows behind Johnny as he makes his way to his victims, similar as if you were watching a character in a video game. Nash changes things up visually when Johnny goes in for a kill, and we get tracking shots through the rooms of a house, reverse angles where we can see Johnny coming up behind his victim, and one campfire scene that gives us a brief look at the group of campers Johnny is going to kill. The kills are brutal and gory. The practical gore effects are amazing and one of the highlights. The work of Cinematographer Pierce Derks really helped keep things interesting visually. I particularly liked the moments when the camera would stop and stay static as Johnny walked out of focus towards his prey. There is also solid editing of Johnny’s walking scenes to help convey the passage of time so you know how long he has been walking, without having to experience the full length of travel. Johnny is played by Ry Barrett who does an excellent job in embodying many of the silent slasher characters that have come before. I caught hints of Michael Meyers, a lot of Jason Vorhees, and even some Cropsy from The Burning. He also brings in his own nuance to the character, especially once he acquires the mask and weapon of choice, two big hooks connected with a chain. He is a silent character so what little emotion he feels is shown through body language. Barrett emotes these feelings perfectly with just a head tilt or gesture. The true hero of this film is not in front of the camera, but behind it. The entire sound department should get top billing for their wonderful work in the sound design. Sound is so important in horror and this team nailed it in every aspect. From the sounds in the woods, to the crunching of leaves, to the smashing of heads, all of it helped put you right there behind Johnny. With no music soundtrack to speak of, the sounds stood out even more. There was room for improvement in a few of the scenes. One involves a kill later in the movie that seemed a bit out of character. I don’t want to spoil it, but I will say given what we had seen of Johnny by that point in the movie, I would have expected a bit more. There is also something they do with Johnny during a scene involving a mini car on a keychain that I wish they had not done as it took away some of the mystery for me. The ending could have been shorter as there is a setup with no real payoff, just exposition. While I get what they may have been going for, it didn’t quite work for me.
In A Violent Nature is a very creative slasher film that takes some risks bucking the expectations one may have for this type of story. It gets top marks for all of the technical aspects while having room for improvement on the story. I can see why many horror fans are divided on it. I find it a refreshing change from many other slashers and can find myself watching it again sometime. If you are looking for something different in your slasher film, this one definitely is going to be for you. The effects of abuse and mental illness are a common subject in the horror genre. Using horror to explore these topics is a very effective way to convey what the victims go through everyday. There is a new feature film on Amazon Prime that addresses this topic with a supernatural spin. Actress and Producer Nicole Nigalia makes her feature film debut with Porcelain. In Porcelain, Elise learns her estranged father had passed away forcing her to return to her childhood home with her boyfriend to handle the estate. While in her childhood home, she begins to feel as if something sinister is in the house haunting her. Soon the line between reality and nightmare blurs as her past comes back to haunt her. Porcelain is an emotionally dark, sharply executed dramatic horror film that keeps you guessing. The viewer joins Elise’s descent into darkness as she is continually triggered by various items in the house, like the old dolls she played with as a kid. I loved the uneasy atmosphere that is conveyed every time we are inside the home. The director also helps maintain the question of “Is the house actually haunted or is it Elise that is internally haunted by the abuse of her past?” There are not a lot of special effects, but there is some creative camera work by cinematographer Richard Trejo that helps keep things creepy. The dolls help enhance the horror even though they do not move or do any Chucky-like things. The story is played very straight and with the seriousness needed given the subject matter. Nigalia is not only behind the camera but also in front of it as Elise. She puts in an emotionally charged performance that could not have been easy to pull off while also directing. She drifts from being feeling disconnected emotionally to her boyfriend, to loving him, to being overwhelmed by forces in the home tormenting her. As things about Elise’s past come to the surface, you feel major sympathy for her. You also feel sympathy for Caleb, her boyfriend played by Hunter Johnson. When we meet him he seems a little possessive and quick to jealousy. But as the story unfolds, we see how much he loves Elise. He goes through his own challenges as he weighs staying with the woman he loves, who is suffering from mental illness, or just leaving. All of that comes through thanks to Johnson’s performance. What stood out most is the portrayal of someone suffering from mental illness due to abuse. This is sometimes handled either too softly or is portrayed so over the top it feels like it is almost comical. Porcelain addresses it just right. You feel for the victim, understand why they are the way they are and also feel for those around them who just want to help even when the victim refuses it. Given my own personal experiences, I related with both on a number of levels, making watching what Elise goes through tough in certain scenes. This is a character driven, slow and steady horror film that may not be for those looking for a scare a minute. While there are scary supernatural elements to the story, Elise’s breakdowns are even more scary, especially for those who have experienced something similar in real life. This isn’t going to be for all horror fans but if you enjoy solid, psychological dramatic horror stories then you will want to watch Porcelain.
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AuthorI have been reviewing films since high school. I love discussing films with those who share my passion for them. I also do video reviews on YouTube and on my podcast. Archives
January 2025
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