I'll offer some fair criticism here, but also freely admit that I just really liked the blend of faith, edge, ethics and suspense this movie juggles, for reasons not purely "critical". As someone who's worked in churches, I appreciated that this rather traditional "catholic horror" take provided a nice balance of skepticism and transparency into the flawed nature of the clergy, without sacrificing power in the delivery. Bana and Ramírez are stellar, with Bana in particular giving a gripping and flawless performance front to back.
The chemistry between Bana and McHale makes the movie for me, providing numerous moments of levity and fun, without sacrificing the grit of this relentless dark movie (does it ever stop raining?). McHale is always fun on screen, and the three main male characters bring strong, distinct roles into every frame.
The plot isn't shockingly unique on paper, but the directing and editing makes it feel different, and the cop "whodunnit" angle glosses over the sometimes cut and paste menagerie of borrowed material. In my opinion, if you're going to borrow, this is a decent way to do so and still produce something that can stand on its own.
I haven't read the reviews, but doubtless this will get some comparison to David Fincher's Seven, in tone and in setting, although obviously the exorcism shtick differs. Seven it isn't, but I was glad it didn't try to duplicate or one up that movie, but rather borrow some of the vibe. It has easy comparisons to traditional exorcism movies in many ways, blending some Conjuring-esque plot points and "your never home" inspiration from things like Rosemary's Baby.
In summary, it's an effective vibe, solid acting, a decent plot, good directing and enough gore and jump scares to qualify as more than just a thriller.
Better than most of what you'll find on streaming in the horror genre, and touching at times as the actors give relatable and heartfelt performances.
A new sleeper favorite for me, though somewhat for personal reasons, so I don't expect others to rate it quite this high, and I won't fault them for that.
The chemistry between Bana and McHale makes the movie for me, providing numerous moments of levity and fun, without sacrificing the grit of this relentless dark movie (does it ever stop raining?). McHale is always fun on screen, and the three main male characters bring strong, distinct roles into every frame.
The plot isn't shockingly unique on paper, but the directing and editing makes it feel different, and the cop "whodunnit" angle glosses over the sometimes cut and paste menagerie of borrowed material. In my opinion, if you're going to borrow, this is a decent way to do so and still produce something that can stand on its own.
I haven't read the reviews, but doubtless this will get some comparison to David Fincher's Seven, in tone and in setting, although obviously the exorcism shtick differs. Seven it isn't, but I was glad it didn't try to duplicate or one up that movie, but rather borrow some of the vibe. It has easy comparisons to traditional exorcism movies in many ways, blending some Conjuring-esque plot points and "your never home" inspiration from things like Rosemary's Baby.
In summary, it's an effective vibe, solid acting, a decent plot, good directing and enough gore and jump scares to qualify as more than just a thriller.
Better than most of what you'll find on streaming in the horror genre, and touching at times as the actors give relatable and heartfelt performances.
A new sleeper favorite for me, though somewhat for personal reasons, so I don't expect others to rate it quite this high, and I won't fault them for that.