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.

 

Best In Show: Possession Films (Part I of II)

Full disclosure: this list was nearly impossible to piece together. So many movies feature some variation or form of possession and every time I tried limiting myself to a certain dimension or aspect, I found something else that could count. So, I settled with a wide net and decided to just make a list that has possession in one form of another, but said possession must make up a substantial portion of the film, rather than a minor part. In addition, I took into account how much of the movie revolves around the possession and possible exorcism and then tried to determine placing based on that content, not the overall movie. Sounds reassuring, right? That's pretty much the resulting list, but it is done and it is here, so that's something:


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10. Deliver Us From Evil
Deliver Us From Evil isn't a great movie. The end scene is a really long, boring drag and some other aspects could be improved. But, this movie has some really spectacular lead-up scenes. From the moments in the zoo to the dark abandoned apartments, Deliver Us From Evil does provide some sense of dread, even if it is ruined by a far-too-long scene. It loses additional points for that scene being the actual exorcism and if a movie is about possession, shouldn't the eventual exorcism be amazing? Either way, this movie got a really bad rap when it came out but it's far more permissible than some of the weaker genre entries (The Devil Inside). 

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9. The Possession
The Possession isn't the best film. It brims with modern horror clichés like the craftsmen-style home with little personality and untimely jump scares, but in its majority, The Possession is highly effective. From a pretty stellar cast to numerous creepy moments and a pretty stellar possession, this film is an easy enough watch to make it worthwhile. It's not deeply thought-provoking or intense, but it's definitely the kind of movie that can put you in the mood for something like Halloween.



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8. The Taking of Deborah Logan

I will say it again and again; The Taking of Deborah Logan is a must-see. By far one of the most underrated films ever, this movie about a woman suffering from old age is far more sinister than the opening parts would have you believe. The Taking of Deborah Logan features the rarely done geriatric possession and does so with so much horrifying tact that viewers can expect to be both sympathetic and scared. The Taking of Deborah Logan is a cold and unrelenting film and the slow progression of the possession makes it all the better.



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7. Evil Dead (2013)

I'm going to say this once and for all: The Evil Dead remake is a great movie. Perhaps even better than the original, this film features some of the most grotesque scenes in modern horror, all with grisly updated graphics that surpass any of the original's visuals. Evil Dead also features the simultaneously terrifying and hilarious possession of Mia, played by Jane Levy (Don't Breathe). This movie is great to watch when you want to feel deeply unsettled.

6. Sinister

Sinister is, by and far, one of the scariest movies I have ever seen. However, its placement on this list is hindered by the fact that, while the little girl does become possessed (spoiler), the demon is much more capable and visible than typical possession movies. It uses the children, but he also has some mandate of his own. Sinister is terrifying but, its position on this list waivers due to the fact that the possession isn't necessarily the star of the show.