My quick rating 5,3/10. This time of year it seems the possession films come out of the woodwork. That being said, this movie does little to stand out from the others as far as the actual possession goes. A year after the death of one of the characters child, they all get together for the holiday and things go awry. The possession more or less just "happens" from there and the woman that ends up as the "host" (Sienna Guillory) does a good job acting a bit off the wall when need be. Some of the funniest lines do come from the demon but not in a comedic way. Meaning for me, timely swearing and divulging of peoples secrets. So as my one line states, the whole movies focus is upon ridding the demon from Bethany once and for all (without being killed) and of course all leads up to a climax. I will admit the trip is more or less just there for the means to getting to the destination. Enjoy.
10 Reviews
Below average.
Patient44420 October 2015
Another Exorcism movie! Exorcisms and found footage, two types of movies that apparently are here to stay.
I don't think there was anything new here, the most absolute used plot in such productions and all the cliché elements the story needed to pass as an horror. It didn't take long to realize where it was headed and it acts as predictable as possible. To me, this was a disappointment.
Glad to see others appreciated it, that's always good, but for someone that is truly familiar to the genre, it will be a let down, trust me on this one. If you do decide to give it a go, please return with an opinion, let's see what you have to say.
A Wicked Within, a yawn production that stood no chance with this script.
Cheers!
I don't think there was anything new here, the most absolute used plot in such productions and all the cliché elements the story needed to pass as an horror. It didn't take long to realize where it was headed and it acts as predictable as possible. To me, this was a disappointment.
Glad to see others appreciated it, that's always good, but for someone that is truly familiar to the genre, it will be a let down, trust me on this one. If you do decide to give it a go, please return with an opinion, let's see what you have to say.
A Wicked Within, a yawn production that stood no chance with this script.
Cheers!
Another BAD 'Mysterious Evil Spirit With Unlimited Unexplained Power With No Way To Defeat It' movie
twoamsecret10 May 2016
DON"T WASTE YOUR TIME.Lazy, lazy writing. It's too bad, this movie started strong with family drama, mystery and secrets which lost steam about half way through, becoming nothing more than a "Mysterious Evil Spirit With Unlimited Unexplained Power". It's almost a modern cliché now, evil spirits that can do anything they want with no limit or rules. If there's no way to defeat the spirit, no "it can't go into the light/cross water/stand up to love/etc., why bother? Just shoot every character in the head, no reason to give a crap about doomed, stupid people. A weak attempt at a double twist ending is the final insult to the audience. Pointless and stupid.
It's like they didn't even try...
postalpro21 October 2015
I don't even know where to begin - I started watching totally blind, no reviews read and no word of mouth.
It just doesn't make sense - establishing some things as facts and then from scene to scene acting as if no revelations or oddities had occurred.
Seems a waste of a good chance for the team to make a solid movie, most of the elements are there but it falls apart due to horrible storyboarding/writing/editing (could be any of those things... or all of them).
2/10 just because it begins quite well.
It just doesn't make sense - establishing some things as facts and then from scene to scene acting as if no revelations or oddities had occurred.
Seems a waste of a good chance for the team to make a solid movie, most of the elements are there but it falls apart due to horrible storyboarding/writing/editing (could be any of those things... or all of them).
2/10 just because it begins quite well.
Cheeseball direction and annoying characterizations
mojoguzzi-879-684989 August 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Seeing in the credits that most of the lead actors also served as producers of one sort or another, I was shocked when I checked their credits to learn that they are all trained actors with hefty resumes. I was sure that one or more were simply wannabe movie stars with more money than talent. Although a few of the lead actors were attractive, on the whole the cast was dowdy and unengaging. One of the lead males looked like Ross from "Friends" if he'd put put in a trash compacter then dressed in an outfit designed for a five year old boy. His haircut didn't help -- it looked like he had an accident with a Flow-bee. His thick Gaelic accent made him stand out even more, not in a good way.
On balance the lead female characters were more likable than not, despite the ham-handed direction. The rest of the cast were just annoying, from the "sassy" psychic to the harpy of a mother and the poorly cast priest. With his unkempt shoulder length hair and grubby whiskers he looked like the guy who'd bring a keg and an eighth of weed to the party, not the gravitas of an exorcist.
The script starts off on a fairly solid collection of clichéd story points but halfway through the characters go off on illogical tangents and there's little suspense throughout. (What man wouldn't be tempted to French kiss his wife after she'd been possessed for a day, complete with deep processed demon voice.) Character emotions change erratically and the horror comes in choppy doses, but there's no one to care about anyway. Eric Roberts collected a day's pay for his wraparound stint as a police psychologist. Whatever they paid him wasn't enough.
On balance the lead female characters were more likable than not, despite the ham-handed direction. The rest of the cast were just annoying, from the "sassy" psychic to the harpy of a mother and the poorly cast priest. With his unkempt shoulder length hair and grubby whiskers he looked like the guy who'd bring a keg and an eighth of weed to the party, not the gravitas of an exorcist.
The script starts off on a fairly solid collection of clichéd story points but halfway through the characters go off on illogical tangents and there's little suspense throughout. (What man wouldn't be tempted to French kiss his wife after she'd been possessed for a day, complete with deep processed demon voice.) Character emotions change erratically and the horror comes in choppy doses, but there's no one to care about anyway. Eric Roberts collected a day's pay for his wraparound stint as a police psychologist. Whatever they paid him wasn't enough.
Could have been decent but has some of the poorest dialogue I've ever seen
PmeD8528 February 2024
One of the things you have to accept about 'possession' movies is that they are generally similar. It is, therefore, what differs that usually determines whether they are decent or another forgettable story.
This movie actually has something that makes it different - the ending is actually not bad at all. The problem is though, almost the entire film until that point is so poor.
The dialogue come across as though written by someone who does not know how conversations should sound. The characters don't react to anything that happens - you have shocking revelations and events and they just continue on as though someone has told them the weather forecast.
The concept of this story was decent, they just really needed someone who could actually write dialogue to fill out the spaces between plot points. The dialogue made the acting - which wasn't fantastic - look and sound even worse.
This movie actually has something that makes it different - the ending is actually not bad at all. The problem is though, almost the entire film until that point is so poor.
The dialogue come across as though written by someone who does not know how conversations should sound. The characters don't react to anything that happens - you have shocking revelations and events and they just continue on as though someone has told them the weather forecast.
The concept of this story was decent, they just really needed someone who could actually write dialogue to fill out the spaces between plot points. The dialogue made the acting - which wasn't fantastic - look and sound even worse.
Above average possession horror flick!
InDyingArms18 October 2015
A bunch of friends / family are together at a gathering, things turn for the worse, and more sinister back story is uncovered after one of the guests becomes possessed. The group, then are left with the duty of figuring out what to do, and how to vanquish the demon that has possessed the one character. I feel as if this movie had a clichéd plot, that being the typical gimmick of a bunch of victims in one isolated area with a ghost / demon after them. Luckily, on the other hand, I also felt as if this movie turned the cliché gimmick into something above average. Combining a series of story twists, and turns, of which relied on the uncovering of more, and more deeper secrets revolving around specific characters in the film as the story progressed, I felt as if the film succeeded in rising the audiences' shock value as the film dose indeed give some intriguing character depth with every twist, and turn it has to offer, those said twists, and turns not being cheap and revolving around character, but with each twist manages to pull all the characters together, thus adding in the audiences' suspense, handing out some interesting thoughts toward the audience. The characters in this film, I felt was a bit of a con, more or less than a pro. The characters seemed a bit flat, and they didn't exactly have the audiences' rooting for them, rather then just seeing them as, what seemed to be boring, cardboard characters. I felt as if the one character, of which became possessed ( Of which won't be spoiled ) had an interesting personality, possessed or not. She seemed sympathetic, at points emotionally damaged, adding more audience questions. When possessed, the character ( That being the demon ) Has what seemed to be a mixed-bag of personalities, and even tricks up it's sleeve, offering some interesting personality, character choices, and depth. The film's dialog seemed decent for what it stood for - that being each character's state of panic, and emotional breakdowns. The characters' actors weren't bad delivering those lines / emotions, giving us some semi-believable acts. Nothing Oscar worthy, but enough to hold the ground.
In conclusion, this film wasn't bad - in fact a decent horror film. I found it pleasant how the filmmakers turned a tired, clichéd plot into something above what it already was; the story additions of twists added audience tension, as well as interest. The film also succeeds to making said twists refreshing, and far from average. The characters may of seemed like cardboard cutouts at points, but once again, the film managed to keep it to a level where the audience would be entertained, and pleased. The demonic possession scenes weren't bad; it wasn't a film heavily reliant on the whole possession gimmick, rather than depth, once again a pleasant surprise. So in the end, this film was great. I personally think horror fans will like it, leading to the recommendation; Great, above average, depth reliant horror flick that'll please.
In conclusion, this film wasn't bad - in fact a decent horror film. I found it pleasant how the filmmakers turned a tired, clichéd plot into something above what it already was; the story additions of twists added audience tension, as well as interest. The film also succeeds to making said twists refreshing, and far from average. The characters may of seemed like cardboard cutouts at points, but once again, the film managed to keep it to a level where the audience would be entertained, and pleased. The demonic possession scenes weren't bad; it wasn't a film heavily reliant on the whole possession gimmick, rather than depth, once again a pleasant surprise. So in the end, this film was great. I personally think horror fans will like it, leading to the recommendation; Great, above average, depth reliant horror flick that'll please.
Highly intriguing and enjoyable exorcism effort
kannibalcorpsegrinder20 April 2016
Following a tragic car accident, a family trying to grieve over the death of one of their children who was involved learns that one of them has become possessed by a demonic being looking to torment them and causes them to rely on a priest to battle the evil.
This was quite an enjoyable and highly surprising effort. One of the better elements present here is the fact that this one really does manage to work with the slow-building plot line rather nicely without really upsetting the film really working out a rather great way this goes about bringing the different details of what's going on here. Starting off with the freaky occurrences with the knife at the dinner table and the possession sequence in the bedroom, this turns out rather fun as it transitions away into the actual possession enables for the more lively as she turns against the family and begins not only tormenting them with the secrets and how the different physical torments she concocts makes for a really enjoyable time overall since this really makes the film pick up the pace with its action. Content to play it more low-key rather than going full-bore with the possession. There's plenty of great scenes here with the séance they conduct which comes off rather well with the demonic voices and blood-spurting around the room making for a great time along with all the different torments, the different confrontations along the way that makes for a great showcase of the demons' strength and vindictiveness and gives this one some pretty enjoyable moments throughout here with her attacks. As it slowly gets into the actual exorcism and the attempts to get her cleansed while she goes out on the rampage against the others it makes for a really exciting time here leading to some really fun action as they all continually stumble across her victims and kills piling up around the house which adds an extra urgency to the actual exorcism attempt, while all together having these help the film's pacing by having such great scenes play out in delivering a great bunch of action in the second half to counter-balance the somewhat slow beginning. That is one of the film's few minor problems, in that there's not a whole lot of action happening here in the first half which makes this tend to feature a somewhat lapse beginning where it doesn't quite get off to the start it really should. Focusing on the interspersed scenes of the psychiatrist that goes nowhere and the revelation of the investigation after-the-fact don't offer up any kind of emotional resonance that's being set-up with the storyline about the possession taking place due to the death in the family, a thread itself that isn't all that well thought-out since it's still a mystery why this one takes on the possession as it does here when being tormented would've been far more feasible so that doesn't really solve much of the problems here. The last problem with the film tends to revolve around it's rather confusing decision to keep almost all the deaths off-screen rather than up-front on-camera. Quite often throughout here they tend to stumble upon the mangled bodies of a friend and it leaves a big gaping hole as to why it never showed that occurring on-screen rather than doing it in this manner. Still, this one was quite a bit of fun.
Rated R: Graphic Language. Violence, suggested Rape and strong adult themes.
This was quite an enjoyable and highly surprising effort. One of the better elements present here is the fact that this one really does manage to work with the slow-building plot line rather nicely without really upsetting the film really working out a rather great way this goes about bringing the different details of what's going on here. Starting off with the freaky occurrences with the knife at the dinner table and the possession sequence in the bedroom, this turns out rather fun as it transitions away into the actual possession enables for the more lively as she turns against the family and begins not only tormenting them with the secrets and how the different physical torments she concocts makes for a really enjoyable time overall since this really makes the film pick up the pace with its action. Content to play it more low-key rather than going full-bore with the possession. There's plenty of great scenes here with the séance they conduct which comes off rather well with the demonic voices and blood-spurting around the room making for a great time along with all the different torments, the different confrontations along the way that makes for a great showcase of the demons' strength and vindictiveness and gives this one some pretty enjoyable moments throughout here with her attacks. As it slowly gets into the actual exorcism and the attempts to get her cleansed while she goes out on the rampage against the others it makes for a really exciting time here leading to some really fun action as they all continually stumble across her victims and kills piling up around the house which adds an extra urgency to the actual exorcism attempt, while all together having these help the film's pacing by having such great scenes play out in delivering a great bunch of action in the second half to counter-balance the somewhat slow beginning. That is one of the film's few minor problems, in that there's not a whole lot of action happening here in the first half which makes this tend to feature a somewhat lapse beginning where it doesn't quite get off to the start it really should. Focusing on the interspersed scenes of the psychiatrist that goes nowhere and the revelation of the investigation after-the-fact don't offer up any kind of emotional resonance that's being set-up with the storyline about the possession taking place due to the death in the family, a thread itself that isn't all that well thought-out since it's still a mystery why this one takes on the possession as it does here when being tormented would've been far more feasible so that doesn't really solve much of the problems here. The last problem with the film tends to revolve around it's rather confusing decision to keep almost all the deaths off-screen rather than up-front on-camera. Quite often throughout here they tend to stumble upon the mangled bodies of a friend and it leaves a big gaping hole as to why it never showed that occurring on-screen rather than doing it in this manner. Still, this one was quite a bit of fun.
Rated R: Graphic Language. Violence, suggested Rape and strong adult themes.
Refreshing simplicity...
rossini-186815 February 2017
When you're tired of The Exorcist and those James Wan Conjuring movies and The Exorcism of Emily Rose, where do you go? Well, here is as good a place to start as any. Nary a big budget ego anywhere in this project to get in the way of a simple, bare bones, Lifetime Movie-ish look at what might happen when a young blonde, suburban beauty gets possessed by a demon. They strap the poor girl to a chair the whole time, and listen to her growl and divulge their dirty little suburban secrets, and it is hilariously over the top and engrossing.
The possessed girl's loopy performance is probably unique in the history of these possession movies, as she laughs and cries and roars her way into a performance that is sure to become a cult classic. There's a strange, end-of-the-world relevance to this little movie, its main strength being a script that someone like Robert Zemeckis or Ang Lee would have turned into a masterpiece of Kubrickian simplicity. But as it stands, it's a fascinating little peek at what happens when low budget Hollywood gets hold of another great script, and does the best they can to tell the story under the big budget radar. A worthy glimpse into the truth about the nature of mankind, and what lurks behind the façade of public hypocrisy we wear.
The possessed girl's loopy performance is probably unique in the history of these possession movies, as she laughs and cries and roars her way into a performance that is sure to become a cult classic. There's a strange, end-of-the-world relevance to this little movie, its main strength being a script that someone like Robert Zemeckis or Ang Lee would have turned into a masterpiece of Kubrickian simplicity. But as it stands, it's a fascinating little peek at what happens when low budget Hollywood gets hold of another great script, and does the best they can to tell the story under the big budget radar. A worthy glimpse into the truth about the nature of mankind, and what lurks behind the façade of public hypocrisy we wear.
I know your secret
nogodnomasters4 September 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Five years after three year old Emma has died, the family holds a little get together. Two sisters, their husbands, the sister's mom and a friend/business partner of Hannah (Michele Hicks) mother of the deceased. They talk, try to have a good time and then things happen as this turns into an possession/exorcism film. In a subplot Eric Roberts, police psychologist is interviewing two individuals (we know they live) over the murders at the house (We know people die before they do.) Normally this is a film I run away from. It has all the bells and whistles of a mediocre film, especially with Eric Roberts being in it. However the film builds slowly. We got to know the characters, if only briefly, plus the aspect of secrets that one wouldn't expect a family to have so many added to keeping my interest. The acting wasn't half bad on what could have been a disastrous script.
Guide: F-word. No sex or nudity.
Guide: F-word. No sex or nudity.
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