I’ve seen at least a hundred exorcism movies, and they were all pretty much the same, and the majority were just plain terrible, always featuring the same recycled ideas shuffled around to try and make a plot look new. When I sat down to watch The exorcism of God I just assumed it would be another low-budget trash version of The Exorcist (no offense). What I got, was shock, it was a new twist on the supernatural that left me impressed.
I should probably tell you a little about it before we go any further. In the film, from director
Alejandro Hidalgo, who co-wrote The Exorcism of God along with Santiago Fernández Calvete, comes the story of a priest, Father Williams, who while conducting his first exorcism briefly became possessed and did something terrible. He has spent his life trying to find forgiveness within himself while striving to be the best priest he can be. His life seems ideal until he is called to a prison to exorcise a prisoner. There’s a huge twist (not going to spoil it) and he sets out to not only save the woman’s soul but the lives of the village’s children. What plays out is an epic battle.
First off, the special effects are surprisingly good. I mean like really good. The faces of those possessed look gnarly, twisted, and fantastic. And the site of them crawling up walls was creepy as hell. Props to the special effects team. But I have to say, I saw something in this movie that truly creeped me the fuck out, something I haven’t seen before. There’s a possessed demon Jesus and for some reason, it got under my skin. I mean holy shit! I found it truly disturbing, in a good way, few things get to me anymore, but that did, so bravo.
Will Beinbrink did a fantastic job as Father Williams. You can tell that he was truly invested in his role and put his heart into it. As did María Gabriela de Faría who starred as Esperanza. The moment the other priest was introduced, Father Lewis, I recognized him (Joseph Marcell) and smiled for a second. You’ll recognize him as the butler from “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” All of the cast put in their all and it shows. There were a lot of great casting choices made in this film.
As for the story, yes, there are priests and possessions involved, but they found a way to put their own spin on it, one that we haven’t seen a ton of times, something fresh. The story has enough complexity to keep you interested, but at the same time, it’s easy to follow. As for twists and turns, there were several and even a few scares that made me jump. Yes, you read that right, it got me a few times.
My verdict, is yes, The Exorcism of God is definitely worth checking out. Luckily, you don’t have to wait. It’s out now on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital, from Lionsgate and comes with a few special features that you’ll want to watch.
Blu-ray and DVD Special Features:
- Deliver Us Towards Evil: The Exorcism of God
- Orchestrating Fear
- Deleted Scenes
