Cast: Simon Quarterman and Brett Detar
Director: William Brent Bell
Ratings: 1/5
It is scary until it starts getting stupid...
By Priyanka Ketkar
Is she possessed or is she mentally unstable? With Science's progress, it has become increasingly difficult to believe the presence of demonic possessions or paranormal activities. Science almost always has an explanation for everything. Or does it really have an explanation? The Devil Inside tries to seek answers to this question partially through a Paranormal activity or a Blair Witch Project-like filming and partially through its documentary style.
Isabella's mother has been in the Roman asylum ever since the exorcism performed on her by the three priests went horribly wrong. Disturbed daughter wants to find out the truth about her mother and about exorcism and sets out with her friend (?) Michele. After attending a few lectures in the classroom on exorcism and interviewing a few doctors and priests, she gets to witness a real exorcism with the help of two Ordained Exorcists. Until this point the movie seems to be pretty interesting and manages to scare us for a while but after this it definitely heads for a downfall. An exorcism on Isabella's mother goes so wrong that the "powerful" demon inside her transports from one body to another (don't worry it is not like some epidemic or some destructive demon after everybody on earth).
Frankly, I don't appreciate such films with a home-video feel to them (better showcase them on Discovery). The only appeal to this movie in particular was the fact that it felt more real than any of those Paranormal Activity movies. With those interviews, that actual witnessing of exorcism and the fact that Science still has some unanswered questions makes it a scary thought for a film. But the director seems to be in so much hurry in the second half that he simply puts an end to the film in any possible way.
Acting wise, there is nothing special to mention as the actors don't have much scope but Maria played by Suzan Crowley is really scary. Even Evan Helmuth as Father David is good. Rest of the cast is just about fine.
What could've been another sensational film turns out to be a really lazy project.