The Devil Inside, the latest in exorcism-horror films, had a lot of standards to live up to. The hype surrounding the film was unbearable, with the constant gossip circling through the media as well as many social-networking sites. Even more pressure to be horrifying was added as a result of all the recent successful exorcism movie franchises like Insidious and Paranormal Activity. While the film was not in itself bad, it did not meet expectations.
While the film was mostly realistic due to its popular documentary style, it lacked in creativity and suspense. Each event didn’t really have a sense of mystery to keep the audience interested and guessing. Most of the climactic scenes took place with little rising action leading up to them. Also, the plot was predictable at a certain point in the movie. The characters were shallow and the acting was just above mediocre.
Another factor of the movie that bothered me was that the movie took place in Vatican City, a gorgeous city full of history and beauty, but didn’t utilize that location at all. Most of the movie took place in shabby apartments and basements. The visuals had so much potential to be breath-taking, and though it is a horror movie, it wouldn’t hurt to have some extra attractive assets.
One thing I did enjoy about the movie was its in depth look into exorcisms. The characters took time to explain how each exorcism took place, how exorcists were educated, and exorcists’ role in the Catholic Church. The overall plot was interesting, but not unique.
If you are easily frightened (but enjoy the excitement of being scared), The Devil Inside is a good movie to watch. Although, I can recommend tons of other films that are more appealing to watch and have more interesting stories and visuals.
