I went in thinking I would like this, and I did for a while, then I started to hate it, but I ended up more or less fine with what I got. First let me explain the hate.
The movie starts well, has creative scenes and suitable jump scares early on with solid acting and silky cinematography, but then you get the creepy feeling that you've seen all this before...the slow pans, the light flickers, the sudden drop in volume leading into a jump scare...and not even in other movies-just a few minutes earlier, in this movie. The first rate performance of Farmiga began to be eclipsed by the redundant use of fear tactics, despite the lovely locations and masterful camera work. Couple that with some frustrating inconsistencies in the risk factor the characters were facing, and it began to pull me out of the moment.
The plot, let's be honest, is only salvaged by the convincing actors and the pacing and scares, but that's not terribly uncommon for possession movies. Read it off a page and it sounds hokey as all get out. Throw it into scenes and it sometimes works, sometimes just feels like horror-flick fodder from the recycle bin. But the real sin, to me, was how powerful these spirits were, until it mattered, and then suddenly they can't seem to effectively hurt anyone. They can chase a hidden relic across multiple countries by what? Intuition? But can't locate a loud group of people hiding in a silent building two feet away?
Character development was minimal and some true ex-machina was required to stitch up the plot, so much so that we get a flashback montage at some point near the end that is supposed to explain something, but felt woefully lacking.
But, let me digress from the hate and explain why this is in no way a 3 star movie:
First, there's Taissa Farmiga. This woman has skillful mastery of emotion on screen and acts with a frenetic energy that pulls this convoluted plot along nicely. The urgency and piercing cadence of her on-screen persona feels to riveting and authentic that I'd gladly return just to watch her in another installment and I'd recommend the movie just for that. She reminds me of what i loved so much about Eddie Redmayne in the movie Black Death . The other actors lent their own skills to varying degrees, but Farmiga was the star for a reason.
Then, the filming. The locations, lighting, camera work and sets were all rich and expertly crafted, immersing the viewer in the dusty glory of post-war Europe. Visually, the movie was very effective and up there with anything that's come out in the last few years. I enjoyed watching it, in the literal sense of the word.
Also, I like catholic horror, and despite the quirky plot and weird risk inconsistencies, the general vibe of the film was something I enjoyed, although that is very much a preference, as sometime who consumes a lot of these kinds of films.
So, maybe I'm being too harsh. Maybe I just need a little faith and shouldn't have to explain things, but man, these demons are so limited by plot convenience it feels like the devil himself can't foil this lazy writing, much less sniff out sobbing school girls in small confined areas, and no matter how many times you get choked, burned, slammed against stones, bashed in the head or casually tossed across a castle, if you've got God (AKA plot) on your side, you won't even limp in the next scene. Maybe I missed some important point about how God works that the movie explained during one of my long eye rolls.
The movie starts well, has creative scenes and suitable jump scares early on with solid acting and silky cinematography, but then you get the creepy feeling that you've seen all this before...the slow pans, the light flickers, the sudden drop in volume leading into a jump scare...and not even in other movies-just a few minutes earlier, in this movie. The first rate performance of Farmiga began to be eclipsed by the redundant use of fear tactics, despite the lovely locations and masterful camera work. Couple that with some frustrating inconsistencies in the risk factor the characters were facing, and it began to pull me out of the moment.
The plot, let's be honest, is only salvaged by the convincing actors and the pacing and scares, but that's not terribly uncommon for possession movies. Read it off a page and it sounds hokey as all get out. Throw it into scenes and it sometimes works, sometimes just feels like horror-flick fodder from the recycle bin. But the real sin, to me, was how powerful these spirits were, until it mattered, and then suddenly they can't seem to effectively hurt anyone. They can chase a hidden relic across multiple countries by what? Intuition? But can't locate a loud group of people hiding in a silent building two feet away?
Character development was minimal and some true ex-machina was required to stitch up the plot, so much so that we get a flashback montage at some point near the end that is supposed to explain something, but felt woefully lacking.
But, let me digress from the hate and explain why this is in no way a 3 star movie:
First, there's Taissa Farmiga. This woman has skillful mastery of emotion on screen and acts with a frenetic energy that pulls this convoluted plot along nicely. The urgency and piercing cadence of her on-screen persona feels to riveting and authentic that I'd gladly return just to watch her in another installment and I'd recommend the movie just for that. She reminds me of what i loved so much about Eddie Redmayne in the movie Black Death . The other actors lent their own skills to varying degrees, but Farmiga was the star for a reason.
Then, the filming. The locations, lighting, camera work and sets were all rich and expertly crafted, immersing the viewer in the dusty glory of post-war Europe. Visually, the movie was very effective and up there with anything that's come out in the last few years. I enjoyed watching it, in the literal sense of the word.
Also, I like catholic horror, and despite the quirky plot and weird risk inconsistencies, the general vibe of the film was something I enjoyed, although that is very much a preference, as sometime who consumes a lot of these kinds of films.
So, maybe I'm being too harsh. Maybe I just need a little faith and shouldn't have to explain things, but man, these demons are so limited by plot convenience it feels like the devil himself can't foil this lazy writing, much less sniff out sobbing school girls in small confined areas, and no matter how many times you get choked, burned, slammed against stones, bashed in the head or casually tossed across a castle, if you've got God (AKA plot) on your side, you won't even limp in the next scene. Maybe I missed some important point about how God works that the movie explained during one of my long eye rolls.