The Cleansing Hour (2019) User Reviews

Quite good

[mjsreg · 6/10 · 11 November 2019]

This is one of the better straight forward horror movies of recent times. It is what it is and doesn't pretend to be anything else.

The story and production are solid and the acting superb.

Well worth watching if you are a horror fan.

The very best of B......

[s3276169 · 7/10 · 12 November 2019]

Whilst I would define this as a B grade film its the best of B. The Cleansing Hour takes a simple but well considered premise and builds a highly entertaining film around it.

It amps up the excitement and horror, degree by devilish degree, even managing to build in wider plot elements, that cleverly leads to a satisfying ending.

The special effects are nothing special but they are not dreadful either. The acting is above average for a film with this kind of budget. Its to the actors credit they do such an excellent job of convincingly carrying this decent little horror thriller.

I say this quite a lot but I really think the future of entertainment is not big budget flicks but smaller studios and modest productions. They don't have money to burn, so they take extra care with the limited resources they have, to craft something worthwhile. The Cleansing Hour is one such example.

7/10 from this happy viewer.

Definetely underrated

[thehacker7401 · 7/10 · 21 December 2019]

When i am out of popular horror movie titles to watch i always resort to as what i call "Failsafe horrors".The term reffers to "promising(in my taste)" movies under 1000 reviews on IMDB. I have to say i wasn't expecting much from this movie but it actually kept me glued to the screen. Beginning is meh-in a sense like all these horror films start with the same story, mid-movie was great and the big finale was WT?!? All in all i have to say it was worth watching and i really enjoyed it!

Surprisingly good!

[cyberfahd · 6/10 · 8 November 2019]

Compared to most of the horrors You see these days, this one delivered. Decent acting, CGI pulled off right and a compelling story line. Most importantly, it had me watching with constant entertainment. With no big names or high budget marketing, this movie really did surprise. Heavily recommend it for horror fans.

Surprisingly Good Horror Film

[gdiego-74995 · 7/10 · 17 February 2021]

Before watching this film, I prepared myself for the worst as I do with most films of this genre. That said, I actually was surprised by how thoughtful this film is. The actors do a good job selling the intelligently written script. The visual effects are decently done for its budget, and I appreciated the commentary this film made. It includes all the gore and mayhem people view these types of films for, but with the added benefit of social commentary that basically warns people to maintain their humanity, integrity and wits while on-line. The group-think or mob mentality is addressed as well as consequences for actions, motivation and words that people often use social media platforms for.

Bottom line, I recommend horror fans check this one out, because I truly believe it's an entertaining film that will also speak to people in ways they never would have thought possible from the supernatural horror genre. Kudos to the filmmakers, I look forward to more from them.

What a surprise!

[PedroPires90 · 7/10 · 1 December 2020]

What a pleasant surprise! Almost the entire movie in a room, with a premise "from pranksters to reality" that we have seen numerous time, so, I was not expecting to be so surprised by this.

There are some parts a bit over the top (when Drew is confessing about the profits or after he knows about...something), but, overall, the acting was very good. Some people complained about the CGI, but I liked, it had a bit of that vibe of those 80s/90s movies we would rent on a Friday night and would surprise us (the movie, itself, remind us a lot of classics, like The Exorcist or The Omen). The pacing is usually a big problem on movies with a low budget in a single room, but here it works really well and the ending is perfect - one of the best endings I've seen in the last years and (will say it again) bringing back that nostalgia again. And those ending credits, oh man!

Very curious to check what this Director will give us next.

Would have been more effective with a bit of subtlety.

[clairelouise5 · 5/10 · 4 January 2020]

Great cast. Started off well. I loved that thing in the alley. Where the horror experience went wrong for me was that the possession was like full on exposure- there was no creepy mystery to it. Initially the voice and appearance were very effective but I want haunting snippets of that horrible old woman voice to send a chill down my spine. Not full, direct conversations with it as it loses its scare factor.

Most definitely above the curve

[sicbassman · 8/10 · 24 November 2019]

You have to give this one points for originality. I think with a slightly larger budget this could have been a 10 out of 10 but damn it didnt stop me from enjoying this movie. Acting was outstanding and the story that pacing was perfect. There's a million possession films that have been done to death but this breathes some new life in a way that I havent seen since Emily Rose. I will definitely be recommending this one to other horror enthusiasts. God damn you gotta give a round of applause to the director and cast. I was really worried this one was gonna get real campy and the cliches would start rolling but once it gets going it doesn't let go of you.

"Public Perception"

[takinsemoyin · 6/10 · 28 February 2021]

The cleansing hour is a very straightforward film, filled with horror, gruesome scene, and moments where you will laugh out loud. If you are considering watching this film you will need to leave room for interpretation . There are scenes where you will possess questions of your own but trust me it is worth the watch this film is no doubt horrific but that's why it called "The cleansing hour"

After a promising start, the film became somewhat of a yawn...

[paulclaassen · 4/10 · 15 June 2021]

The concept sounded interesting so I decided to watch yet another demonic possession movie. If you enjoy watching a demon just sitting in a chair for the entire movie, then this is for you. If not, you might want to give this one a skip.

The set-up was really cool, and so relevant to today's social media generation where views and followers encourage content creators to do just about anything to gain an audience. The visual effects were quite good, but the demon's dialogue was laughable, and way too aware of social media. Oh, speaking of effects, there's a scene where a guy steps on broken glass - and they even show it close-up - but it so obviously looks like ice instead of glass. Couldn't help pausing and laughing at it for a bit...

The acting wasn't bad, except for Alix Angelis as Lane, and the demon. She wasn't convincing at all, and a bit theatrical. The promising start soon overstayed its welcome and became boring. There's only so much you can do with a demon in a single room, for 90 minutes! It might have worked well as a short, but eventually it felt like deja vu. It became pure propaganda, and nothing more than an advertisement for the church. Some scenes were intense, but not necessarily in a good way - more like over-dramatized. At least the editing was good....

Would I watch it again? Nope.

Nice twist and a great ending

[eternalchaos · 8/10 · 10 November 2019]

Not your typical run-of-the-mill horror story. This one has substance and great special effects. Acting was average but still was effective. Recommended!

Best. Demon. Ever.

[killercharm · 6/10 · 20 March 2021]

When a demon is so taken with streaming to 15 million strong that he stares and speaks into the camera you know you have a show! This flick is great fun. It's got everything a horror show should...except fear. There's no fear. Not much tension either, but it's still great fun to watch. A weekly exorcism stream features a sham priest and sham demons. Until it doesn't.

A for effort; C for execution

[jmbovan-47-160173 · 4/10 · 10 October 2020]

Films starts with a good solid Grade B horror film with black humor and lower production qualities (but just below a top production). Then it becomes serious, sort of. It doesn't quite lose the silly elements completely, but the shift to more serious horror possession turns sour as it clashes with the previously established lighter elements. The conclusions tries to do something more with the film. Unsuccessfully. Not horrid to watch, but it became tiresome as it unfolded.

the cleansing hour

[u-32187 · 6/10 · 8 May 2020]

The story is very creative and the ending is ironic

Very entertaining!

[natashialw · 7/10 · 28 March 2021]

If you love horror at the start and a fast story line with lots of fun, shocking moments and a "holy s***t" moments then watch this movie!! Watched it on Shudder and glad I saw this!

Surprisingly good, ...and Vatican approved!

[Coventry · 7/10 · 4 July 2022]

This seems like another new horror flick that come per thirteen in a dozen nowadays: cheap, derivative, gratuitously gore, and non-suspenseful. Well, I love to be proven wrong, and especially when it's least expected! "The Cleansing Hour" is a very pleasant surprise. Cheap, maybe, but also creative and intense, and with a large portion of effectively biting satire.

Clever entrepreneurs and friends since forever Max and Drew run a very profitable business. They perform vicious exorcisms and stream them live on the internet via their channel "The Cleansing Hour". It's all fake, of course, but very professionally staged by an entire team, and - in between two rites of blessings - "Father" Max sells merchandising that is supposedly Vatican-approved to their thousands of loyal followers. The next step in a plot like this is that one of exorcisms goes horribly wrong, obviously, when the stand-in actress turns out to be possessed by a real demon and starts exposing, humiliating, and killing the crew live in front of a rapidly increasing e-audience.

The script features several (inevitable?) clichés, but luckily even more freshness and originality. For instance, I like how the film also regularly checks in with a handful of loyal fans of the show to see how they react, and there's also a very sinister twist at the end. The gore and make-up effects are not the greatest, but they reach their effect, and the design of Aamon the Demon is a hit! The acting performances are more than acceptable, and so is the direction by Damien LeVeck. I haven't heard of him before but hope to see more of his work in the future.

A Visually Decent Exorcism Horror Romp, but goes from Intriguing to Cliche Fast

[TwistedContent · 5/10 · 8 November 2019]

I expected very little, and while it possesses not only people but also faults and cliches, "The Cleansing Hour" (a.k.a. "The Devil's Hour") is a fairly entertaining and technically effortful exorcism horror romp.

The filmmakers here take up the good old possession horror shtick, with stereotypes and all & puts in our modern millenial all-internet world. A live-stream show about exorcisms, secretly a hoax, gets visited by an actual demon and the many confrontations can start. The story has layers, backstories, twists, but the problem with all that is that it all (including the characters) resembles seen and expierenced horror trappings, cliches & has a pretty high predictability factor. Too much familiarity. In the end, "The Cleansing Hour" proves to be less original (in almost all aspects of filmmaking) than it might appear in the beginning. However, I wish to compliment them on the visuals - the camera work is dynamic and interesting enough, there's enough gore and various enjoyable fx, both practical and cgi, none of which stand out as bad or effortless. The movie has its action side, without which it'd be even lamer. As for the acting, I thought it's quite okay, assuring enough, on the background of many other imperfections.

If I was you I would be weary of all the high ratings (and also the extremely low ones), "The Cleansing Hour" is sort of unique on the surface, but after spending the 90 minutes closely together with it, I can surely say that it's nothing much more than another mainstream take on the exorcism horror subgenre, just visually well enough done to appeal to the masses. My rating: 5/10.

Brilliant horror..

[lindyf29 · 9/10 · 14 November 2019]

Quite gruesome just the way I like it. I really enjoyed. Started out a bit slow and bad acting but the movie and the acting got a helluva lot better. Alix was brilliant as the possessed. Absolutely loved it.

Whoa

[nyxkasper · 7/10 · 23 April 2022]

I was browsing Shudder and put this on without expecting much, and it really surprised me!! Extremely solid modern horror movie, Shudder really had some hidden gems.

Proof of bad taste and low standards

[CaptainDandy · 2/10 · 29 October 2021]

This is actual garbage. Bad acting, a bad script, annoying characters, terrible music, terrible special/practical effects. Worst of all, it's neither scary nor funny.

A great movie with an amazing ending! Highly recommended!

[manuelasaez · 9/10 · 11 November 2019]

This movie was a complete and total surprise. While the trailer was pretty well done and set the scene for the entire film, the end product was so well done, I really am shocked to see movies like this relegated to streaming. Everything from the direction to the acting was top notch, but it was the special effects took the stage and really brought this movie to the next level. Using a mix of CGI and practical effects, the film really does an amazing job of creating an effective and well realized universe.

I haven't been entertained by a possession film in years. This is the first one in a long time that was so expertly executed, that it deserves to reach as wide and audience as possible. If you enjoy well done films that are visually striking, then this is the movie for you! Plus, the ending is one of the best endings I have seen in a Western film in a long time. Truly masterful work, everyone involved should be commended on doing an amazing job!

A truly entertaining and well made film in every respect. It deserves high praise and any horror fan should give it a watch.

Strong acting and a knockout ending !

[lizxypopcornkid · 6/10 · 27 April 2021]

The acting was pretty impressive for a low budget horror movie, Alix Angelis I thought was especially impressive as she seemed so well grounded into her possession part.

Overall I think the movie is decent and better than many of the cheesy flimsy possession movies these days , I found it kind of predictable at some parts but the ending was a smash hit !

Didn't expect that !

Give it a watch if u have shudder as the actors are very promising and I look forward to what the director does next!

Low quality

[FeastMode · 3/10 · 6 March 2022]

This is a fun twist on the exorcism subgenre. It's a cool premise. But the movie is glaringly low-quality. It had trouble making me care about anything. The actors and the characters they play don't bring much to the table. There are some cool practical effects and some intense moments, but overall this is a bad movie. (1 viewing, 3/6/2022)

Solid and Entertaining

[codalees · 7/10 · 12 July 2022]

Pros: Well-shot and good looking movie. Main actors are doing a pretty good job and are quite believable (including the child actors). SFX and CGI add to the vibe of the movie really well. I enjoyed the modern twist on the "fake exorcists faced with a real exorcism" by making them essentially twitch streamers/YouTubers. Wraps up pretty well and the actress being possessed is doing a great job. Gore/scary parts are at the right intensity and do a good job at driving the story forward. Most of the actors are unknowns which helps with immersing into the story. Movie was entertaining and I was easily invested the whole time.

Cons: While it was entertaining with well-placed gore and some scary sequences, I didn't find it scary. I had the same experience as I would with a drama or action movie - but take that with a grain of salt because I don't tend to find SFX and CGI monsters/creatures/demons scary, especially once you've been looking at them for the majority of the movie. That being said, it was still intense! Another con for me was some of the side characters' acting (bar scene ladies specifically) was a little too TV-movie, but it also could have been the writing for them.

Overall, a solid and enjoyable movie!

Not what I expected

[nikkiinwanderlust · 7/10 · 14 December 2020]

This movie was so much better than I had anticipated. Aside from some silly looking demons and effects, it's entertaining, the acting (especially from the main actress) is on point and it has an interesting plot. Worth watching for sure.