I am a big fan of The Conjuring universe from The Conjuring to Annabelle to The Nun so obviously a fan of Ed and Lorraine Warren as well. Add to that the fact that I'm Catholic and like the documentary states demons, angels, evil entities, and the devil of course is all apart of our faith. I do believe in possession however I believe in it when presented with compelling and strong evidence. This particular case did not provide nearly enough evidence to rule out mental illness or the power of suggestion. I'd read about this case after watching the film and the movie is quite accurate despite a few changes (he was arrested early morning in movie but at night in real life ect.) The biggest thing left out of the movie that is present in the documentary is the fact that the eldest brother never believed his brother or Arne were possessed. That and the treatment of the family by The Warrens who may very well have actually exorcised individuals and had visions that helped many people but also may have been grifters along with it. I enjoy both sides of the story presented in this documentary however I'm inclined to believe based on the evidence presented this little boy was never possessed nor was the boyfriend of the sister. There was nothing the boy said that a boy his age hadn't heard before as far as the obscenities he shouted, his voice never altered, the "demon" did not say things a demon would typically say in a possessed person and at no point called itself the devil though the boy, Arne and others referenced the entity as such. The Warrens suggested in front of the child how a possessed person acts and he did just that. The sister had a relationship with the murder victim Alan Bono prior to her relationship with Arne. I believe they had an altercation on her behalf that after drinking and brawling ended violently. I believe he panicked and used the demonic possession he believed to have witnessed as an excuse for his actions. This is all speculation based on what was presented. They may very well have had a supernatural demonic experience. I believe people do but not in this case. It is unfortunate no video footage of said possession exists because the audio is just not enough. I also as a Catholic have never heard of one being possessed and then suddenly just not being so anymore without spiritual intervention (exorcist of some sort) which Arne claims is the case. The movies based in the Warrens are always entertaining but one must wonder how much is true and how much they actually helped people or if they were more interested in helping themselves. I actually wish the documentary had been longer but good stuff. Fascinating case. I side with the majority of the reviews. It was fabricated but not from the beginning. The mother believed her attention seeking mentally unstable son was possessed and did what she thought would help him then the family was subsequently taken advantage of by the Warrens and enchanted by Hollywood and money. Who knows for certain but watch and decide.
Review of The Devil on Trial
