<\/strong><\/p>\n Directed By: Daniel Stamm<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n Starring: Patrick Fabian, Ashley Bell, Louis Herthum, Caleb Landry Jones, Iris Bahr<\/strong><\/p>\n \n When you go to see a movie about an exorcism, you know what to expect; a seemingly normal yet freaky subject, moaning, chanting and body contorting. The Last Exorcism<\/em> really is just more of the same, but puts those elements to use in a rather unique way making them far more terrifying than one would expect without even being graphic. The Last Exorcism<\/em> is a truly horrifying film, but doesn’t leave you with a pit in your stomach, rather a smile on your face. It’s scary, funny and entertaining and an excellent way to close out the summer. <\/span><\/p>\n \n Cotton Marcus (Patrick Fabian) is a preacher, but he\u2019s also a showman. He can get his congregation to go along and feel good about anything he says, even a recipe for banana bread. Cotton takes the same approach to exorcisms. He puts his showmanship to work, conducts a fake exorcism, really makes his client believe he\u2019s extracting a demon and everyone\u2019s happy. The victim believes the demon has been removed and Cotton gets his money. It\u2019s not as selfish as it sounds; Cotton is just trying to support his family and make sure he can afford his son\u2019s hearing aids. However, after learning of a young boy killed during an exorcism, Cotton decides to make this next one his last and expose the practice for the scam that it is.<\/p>\n \n While being followed by a documentary crew, a lone cameraman and his producer, Cotton answers one last letter, that of Louis Sweetzer (Louis Herthum). Louis\u2019s livestock are turning up dead and believes his daughter (Ashley Bell) might be to blame, but not directly. He believes she\u2019s possessed. A cocky Cotton approaches this situation like all of the exorcisms in the past; this is just some kid who has convinced herself she is being demonized. He\u2019ll head to the house, perform his routine fake yet believable exorcism, get his money and be on his way. However, things don\u2019t quite go as Cotton planned and the situation turns out to be far more serious than he could have ever imagined.<\/p>\n \n The first portion of the film is undeniably enjoyable. Fabian is as likeable as Cotton Marcus himself. He\u2019s an absolute natural in front of the camera, keeping the viewer laughing the whole way through the introductory portion of the film. But it\u2019s not all fun and games, Fabian highlights Cotton\u2019s sentimental side as well, both in terms of his family life as well as his fading confidence in his faith. It\u2019s this superb set up that makes the rest of the film so powerful.<\/p>\n \n The Last Exorcism<\/em> goes from laughs and jokes to being downright terrifying at the perfect pace. Upon arriving at the Sweetzer farm we get small doses of the madness in the form of slaughtered animals and an unusual encounter with Louis\u2019 son Caleb (Caleb Landry Jones). But overall, Louis and Nell are presented as normal people, fairly sheltered, but nice. Ever so slowly things escalate from mere bumps in the night to undeniable demonic behavior.<\/p>\n \n This is where the film\u2019s sole pressing fault comes in. Cotton never really acknowledges the fact that this could really be an actual demonic possession. He\u2019s constantly blaming Nell\u2019s behavior on her mother\u2019s passing and some other possible traumatic situations, which eventually becomes ridiculous. Perhaps an abnormally long walk in her sleep can pass as being a result of mental stress, but beyond that, it couldn\u2019t be more obvious that there\u2019s something seriously wrong with Nell, something entirely unnatural.<\/p>\n \n Still, this weakness stands no chance against the outstanding performances delivered by Fabian and Bell and the impeccable direction of Daniel Stamm. Fabian makes for the perfect hero and the perfect character to take you through the story. He\u2019s likeable from the moment you meet him and stays so throughout the film, even when his decisions seem unjustifiable. As for Bell, The Last Exorcism<\/em> just wouldn\u2019t be the same without her. Her ability to transform from the quintessential innocent farm girl to a crazed maniac out for blood is really what makes the film so terrifying. Had the story been set in a more residential neighborhood in a more modern neighborhood like New York, as sad as it sounds, that change wouldn\u2019t be as abnormal and frightening.<\/p>\n \n Concerning Stamm\u2019s work, if you think you\u2019ve had enough of the shaky cam format, think again. Between his direction and Zoltan Honti\u2019s cinematography, this story really comes to life. It\u2019s not that the duo manages to pull off a never-before-seen feat with the technique, they just keep it simple and stick with what works. Rather than have scares come right to the camera, most of the more shocking moments come at the end of long pans, allowing enough suspense to build before showing the viewer something that isn\u2019t even all that scary, but still manages to catch you off guard.<\/p>\n \n
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