The Devil Inside is a “Found Footage”/Mocumentary Horror film that opened in theaters Nationwide on Friday. Written and directed by Brent Bell (Stay Alive) it was produced by Paramount Insurge, a branch of Paramount Pictures that was created after the success of Paranormal Activity to produce and acquire “micro-budget” movies. The Devil Inside was filmed for under $1M, but you’d never suspect it as the quality, acting, and effects are all top notch. The first big Horror release of 2012 is a good one, setting the bar pretty high for whatever follows this year.
I know that a lot of you are sick of both “Found Footage” and exorcism films, as both have been produced ad nauseam over the past decade or so. While this certainly works to its disadvantage, The Devil Inside at least seems to have paid close attention to these similar films. And where many of its predecessors failed, this film gets it right. Just like Paranormal Activity 3 makes the first two films in that franchise seem cheap and boring, The Devil Inside puts many past exorcism films to shame.
Continue reading this review after the jump…
In 1989, emergency responders received a 9-1-1 call from Maria Rossi (Suzan Crowley) confessing that she had brutally killed three people. 20 years later, her daughter Isabella (Fernanda Andrade) seeks to understand the truth about what happened that night. She travels to the Centrino Hospital for the Criminally Insane in Italy where her mother has been locked away to determine if she is mentally ill or demonically possessed. When she recruits two young exorcists (Simon Quarterman and Evan Helmuth) to cure her mom using unconventional methods combining both science and religion, they come face-to-face with pure evil in the form of four powerful demons possessing Maria. Many have been possessed by one; only one has been possessed by many.
The Devil Inside puts a lot of effort into convincing the audience to accept it as fact. Before the first images, we are told that this film has not been authorized or approved of by the Vatican, and that the recording of an exorcism is strictly forbidden. Next, we hear the 911 call referred to in the synopsis, which adds to the sense of legitimacy. There are no opening credits and no music—just the presentation of “facts”.
Suzan Crowley’s portrayal of Maria Rossi is one of the cornerstones of this film’s success: Utterly unnerving, completely unsettling, and very believable. Even in still photos, she conveys a penetrating eeriness. The Devil Inside also benefits from above par performances from Simon Quarterman (as Father Ben Rawlings) and Even Helmuth (as Father David Keane, MD), a couple of low ranking priests who work as clandestine exorcists operating without the Church’s knowledge or consent. A scene where a simple baptism goes horribly wrong is a definite stand-out for Helmuth. Ionut Grama is great as Michael Schaefer, the skeptical “filmmaker” who finds himself thrust in front of the camera as an active participant in events he set out to merely document. Fernanda Andrade is a beautiful actress, but her portrayal of Isabella Rossi was cold and artificial when compared to those around her.
The Devil Inside seeks to differentiate itself from other exorcism films by focus on a specific type of affliction: Multi-demon possessions and how they relate to a phenomenon called “transference” whereby an offending entity might jump into the body of a bystander. This concept of transference brings new fear into the exorcism sub-genre. Suddenly, a character is no longer safe as an objective spectator—just being in the room with someone suffering from multi-demon possessions is incredibly dangerous. This is something several of the film’s protagonists learn the hard way.
SPOLIER ALERT
The bold ending of The Devil Inside will divide people into two categories: “Love it” of “Hate it”. In fact, I bet the final scene will be the most discussed aspect of this film. While riveting, the film comes to what feels like an abrupt stop. Some will appreciate this tactic and understand how it leaves the story opened to multiple interpretations. Others will feel unsatisfied, or dropped—just when things were really heating up. This final scene involves an event that may or may not have killed some or all of the film’s main characters. This lack of concrete answers as to their final fate seemed to have irked quite a few audience members, and I even heard one viewer use the word “unsatisfying”.
As for me, I loved the ending, as it came after a solid 10 minutes or increasing tension and chaos. Also, I can’t help but think about how The Devil Inside is opened for multiple sequels. I have a feeling we haven’t seen the last of Maria, Isabella, and Ben—although Michael is almost certainly dead. This could also explain why the movie ends when it does: When the filmmaker is dead, no one is left to operate the camera.
The producers want to encourage continued discussions about this conclusion and other topics. As the screen goes black, viewers are guided to a website where interested parties can learn more about the ongoing investigation into events surrounding this case: www.TheRossiFiles.com.
The Devil Inside is well above average and pretty sure to please most Horror fans. Definitely worth the price of a ticket. Saucy Josh says, “See this one”.
3 ½ out of 5 Skulls.
Saucy Josh writes a blog for intelligent Horror Movie aficionados called Blood and Guts for Grown Ups: https://bloodandgutsforgrownups.wordpress.com/