Review: The Crucifixion



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Religion and horror go hand-in-hand. From exorcisms to home blessings, clergy play a role in a great many of films and while many of these movies have entered a repetitive territory, filmmakers are constantly looking for new ways to bring in religion. Movies like Deliver Us from Evil brought a more detective mystery vibe and The Exorcism of Emily Rose made the court proceedings take center stage. Following this direction and more closely related to the latter, is The Crucifixion.

Following a young journalist investigating the death of a nun in what appears to be an exorcism gone wrong; The Crucifixion valiantly attempts to join the reconstruction of the exorcism subgenre with flairs of blame placed on mental illness and poverty. The story, which eventually finds our lead, Nicole, played by Sophie Cookson (Moonfleet), face-to-face with something truly horrific, works best when grounded in tense, atmospheric horror but the inclusion of an array of supporting characters muddles the existing ones development. Nicole is unapologetically smarmy and career-driven, she's a welcome change from the reactive female characters in horror before her, but ultimately not that compelling.

The fact of the matter is, The Crucifixion isn't as complicated as it would seem, nor as successful in its execution. While it traverses new territory with a fresher concept, it never fully invests in its characters or spins a story interesting enough to warrant its existence. Among the drama that unfolds, there are some effective scares, but even these aren't enough to overcome a plot that rambles on.

The Crucifixion does its best to be its own story but definitely falters into familiar territory. For an indie, smaller release, it's definitely more impressive than other releases this year. But, when so many horror films are breaking new ground or maintaining conventions, but providing excessive scares, The Crucifixion is watchable, but easily overlooked and even more easily forgotten. 4 out 10.

Review: Little Evil

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After the success of Krampus, it seemed like comedian Adam Scott could transition to just about anything. From countless roles in indie comedies and romance films to his turn as Ben Wyatt in Parks and Recreation, his career is filled with plenty of iconic gems. His recent role in the Netflix original, Little Evil, continues Scott's trend in the world of indie projects.


Little Evil follows Scott's Gary as he interjects himself into the lives of Samantha and her son, Lucas, played by Evangeline Lilly (The Hobbit) and newcomer Owen Atlas (Astronaut Camp). Lucas proves to be a troubling young boy with possibly sinister roots. He, along with Samantha, continuously face difficulty and despite Gary's best efforts, things don't seem to be looking up. Little Evil is a parody of films like The Omen and plays out in similar fashion.


Scott, Lilly and Atlas try their best throughout the film but to no avail. Scott's role is too similar to better written ones before it. Lilly and Atlas aren't much better. Lilly isn't ever given a chance to shine as she spends the majority of the film as a loving mother and while Atlas has the chance to play a creepy kid, he doesn't seem to understand the art of the cold stare or unsettling quietness, something necessary to join a line of terrifically terrifying kids. The one piece of light in this film is Bridget Everett's (Patti Cake$) much needed role as comic relief character, AL.


Perhaps it’s the lackluster, far-too-predictable jokes or the pure lack of scares - two factors that made Krampus extremely effective - but, Little Evil seems out of touch and bland. Stale and blatantly advantageous of Scott's typical brand of humor, everything about Little Evil feels unnecessary. Like a cheap rip off of a better film, Little Evil is less an accomplished piece of work and more like a knockoff Dory the Searcher coloring book you'd find in a 99 cent store. Little Evil tries its best to convey low brow humor but without the commitment to make it comically tasteless. Some parts seem more bent on creating a loving family angle rather than tear into horror movie tropes using comedy.


Little Evil is a movie that's perfectly comfortable in its mediocrity. Never exceeding expectations or eliciting a laugh more than a few times, this film didn't need to be made and probably shouldn't have been. It's got very little working for it and a multitude of things working against. Sure, there are moments of heart, but they're quickly ditched by very boring placidity. Little Evil could be perfect as a stumble-upon watch on a rainy day, but there are far better options available in any occasion.

The Overlook: Demonic

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A recent trend in horror movies is uniting criminal investigations to exorcisms. Movies like The Exorcism of Emily Rose and Deliver Us from Evil and Fox's The Exorcist TV series paired cops and detectives with ongoing or aftermath discoveries of butchered victims, occult symbols and often, a couple survivors. While sometimes repetitive, these movies and shows offer fresh takes on humans interacting with demons and the devil. That's why 2015's Demonic is worth a watch.

Recently added to Netflix, Demonic follows a group of friends who enter a haunted house and get more than they bargain for. Alongside these flashbacks are a detective and psychologist attempting to solve the eventual massacre of the teens. Demonic stars Maria Bello (Secret Window) and Frank Grillo (Warrior) as psychologist Elizabeth Klein and Detective Mark Lewis, respectively. Cody Horn (End of Watch), Dustin Milligan (Schitt's Creek), Scott Mechlowicz (EuroTrip) and Megan Park (What If) play the group of teens, with Milligan starring as troubled young man with disturbing dreams. His character John, Horn's Michelle and Mechlowicz's Bryan are the only remaining members of the party upon the police's arrival.

Demonic has a lot of flaws. From some shaky acting from supporting characters to some mediocre story points, there's a lot to criticize. But at its center, there's still something entertaining about this movie. Milligan is absolutely fantastic as the central character and possible murderer - even if his character has some inconsistencies. Had the filmmakers left him more solemn throughout, rather than give him some jokey moments, his character would be even more solidified.

Additionally, the nonchronological storyline, while interesting comes with its own host of issues. Most importantly, the aftermath scenes are far more entertaining than the typical and at times, overly conventional teens-exploring-a-haunted-house ones. But, while this film could have fallen completely into the waste basket, these later scenes mostly focusing on Bello's and Grillo's characters provide plenty of buffers. Both Bello and Grillo bring a heightened level of acting to some of the weaker characters and cast.

This movie isn't perfect. But, in a constant craving for more, horror fans can rest assured that empty space will be filled. It's a movie that revels in its basic functions, but provides enough jump scares and star power to drive it home. Demonic is a great choice for a casual afternoon, even if not necessarily a horror-filled night.

 

 

 

The Overlook: The Exorcism of Molly Hartley

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There are hundreds of exorcism movies out there. From the classic, The Exorcist, to the critically acclaimed The Conjuring, many horror movies at least feature some form of possession and eventual exorcism. However, like any movie subgenre, a surplus doesn't necessarily mean an abundance of quality and for streaming sites like Netflix and Amazon Prime; these subpar movies have seemingly found a home. Sifting through the worst can be difficult, but if done well, can lead to some rough gems like The Exorcism of Molly Hartley. 


Offering the compelling point of view of a character ardent in her awareness that she knows what is happening to her, The Exorcism of Molly Hartley feels fresh, even if its special effects and execution of possession staples are weaker. The film takes place almost entirely in a psych ward where the lead character Molly - played by Sarah Lind (WolfCop) - is swiftly brought after killing two random side characters. Here she encounters our supporting cast of characters including a stunning Gina Holden (Harper's Island) as Dr. Hawthorne and former priest John Barrow, played by Devon Sawa (SLC Punk). Sawa is noticeably weaker than the other two, but luckily for the film, Lind and Holden are powerful enough to persevere.

Despite a blatantly low budget and questionable production value, The Exorcism of Molly Hartley is an entertaining flick worth a watch. Molly Hartley has all of the hallmarks of exorcism films - featuring displaced voices and references to the occult - and the film wastes little time establishing the story's backdrop; helping make a film that's far better than it could have been. All of this, paired with an original setting and a lead actress who makes the most of the material she's provided, make The Exorcism of Molly Hartley good enough.

The Exorcism of Molly Hartley has a twisting plot that'll leave viewers wondering what events are supernatural and which are clearly made up in Molly's head. Naturally, given the fact that it's a horror movie, audiences will tend to agree with what Molly believes is happening to her., but the film offers enough contrary positions to keep the film moving  Even the use of the tired "rogue exorcist" trope is forgivable given the film's other efforts in originality.

As noted, The Exorcism of Molly Hartley is nowhere near award-worthy. But, for all of the awfulness that fills out streaming sites' edges, this piece of work certainly feels like one of the best. Molly Hartley does take some time to win over viewers but once the legwork is done, this film becomes quite the entertaining romp with an especially effective ending.