Movie Review: ‘THE DEVIL INSIDE’

Even though it seems that every January now seems to be a dumping ground for a new religious themed horror film (last year the forgetful The Rite held that honor), I still had an inkling of curiosity going into The Devil Inside.  Whether it was the clever yet simple title or the striking poster art of a woman revealing an embedded upside down cross in her inner lip, The Devil Inside looked like it was attempting to create its own universe (and apparently its own franchise) to set it apart from other religious themed horror films and “found footage” horror entries.  Unfortunately, originality was left only for the name and marketing for this predictable and conventional thriller.

The film opens with a chill inducing 911-call followed by a police video that shows the results of an exorcism gone wrong.  Three clergy members have been murdered and the troubled woman who committed the crime is apprehended and sent off to a mental institution in Rome.  Flash-forward twenty years later and the “insane” (or is she possessed?) woman’s daughter Isabella (Fernanda Andrade) decides to make a documentary with her friend Michael as they attempt to discover what happened that night and confront her mother after all these years.  While in Rome, the two are forced to question whether or not the woman is possessed by a demon or if it is all just a form of mental sickness.  Two young priests will help Isabella and Michael find the answers they need and open their eyes to the underground world of exorcisms.

Like most found footage films, The Devil Inside, uses a variety of cinema verite styles to convey the feeling that you are watching real footage.  The most successful and refreshing technique was a “History Channel” straight interview approach with church officials that included their names and info at the bottom left hand corner.  It worked really well in 2009’s District 9 and is used to great effect here as well to help authenticate the footage at the beginning of the film. Surveillance cameras and other random cameras are thrown in to excite some of the more drawn out sequences to create some excitement even if it is unnecessary.  The reason why I bring all of this up, is one of my biggest problems with the film is the way the character Michael films the “documentary” scenes with Isabella.  Most of the film is comprised of his footage and it becomes a real test of the audience’s patience as he continually zooms in and out in basic shots.  The constant attention the camera-work calls to itself to make you feel like you are watching “real footage” is tiresome and ultimately distracting from the real meat of the film: the performances.

Everyone featured in the film delivers solid performances.  Though it could easily come off as a cliche, Suzan Crowley as the disturbed mother Maria, gives a startling and truly memorable performance that teeters between subtle whispers to frenzied rantings.  Andrade is acceptable as Isabella, but her character is far less interesting than the two priests that enter the film about halfway through.  The two priests, Ben (Simon Quarterman) and David (Evan Helmuth), invigorate the story and give us someone interesting to actually care about by the time the end rolls around.  The two spout dialogue about topics we’ve all heard before that include church cover-ups and the existence of God and the devil.  Yet, there’s a conviction in their voice even if it may sound a little dry.

Considering both the positive and negative aspects previously mentioned, the greatest sin of this desperate attempt to present a shocking exorcism film is its predictability.  Beginning with some of the first lines spoken by Isabella, the film lays out pretty much exactly where its going with very few turns you won’t see coming.  You have to be asleep or deaf to not hear the obvious clues laid forth throughout the film.  This wouldn’t be so bad if The Devil Inside didn’t also feel like so many possession films that have come before it.  I’m sorry, but hearing a 16 yr. old girl tell a priest she wants “to suck your cock” is far from startling if you are aware of poor young Regan in The Exorcist (clearly the gasping teenage girl sitting next to me had not seen William Friedkin’s masterpiece).  Considering the amount of effectively creepy “exorcist-esque” films out there, you can do far better than this.  I recommend The Last Exorcism (2010). Aside from creating some genuine scares, the film actually succeeded in making you question your own religious beliefs.

It’s being said that Paramount Pictures was hoping for another Paranormal Activity franchise with The Devil Inside.  What made that initial Paranormal film work so well was its simplicity and its timing.  Paranormal used a simple concept that came out at a time when the market:  A.) Was more concerned with blood and gore (Saw series)  B.) Wasn’t already flooded with found footage horror films.  Now it seems there are a couple of new ones a year, creating an over-saturation of a once effective style.  Like how Paranormal Activity benefited from coming out at the right time, The Devil Inside fails due to it coming out at the wrong time.  Both the “cinema verite” cleverness and the demonic thrills seem worn-out and unimaginative in 2012.