In 1989, emergency responders received a 9-1-1 call from Maria Rossi confessing that she had brutally killed three people. 20 years later, her daughter Isabella seeks to understand the truth about what happened that night. She travels to the Centrino Hospital for the Criminally Insane in Italy where her mother has been locked away to determine if her mother is mentally ill or demonically possessed. When she recruits two young exorcists to cure her mom using unconventional methods combining both science and religion, they come face-to-face with pure evil in the form of four powerful demons possessing Maria. Many have been possessed by one; only one has been possessed by many. (Paramount Pictures)
Just recently, Paramount Pictures was named the studio that topped the 2011 box office above all the other major studios. If they want any more people to show up to their films in 2012, they should stop green-lighting films like THE DEVIL INSIDE, although dumping it in January seems like the best decision to forget the film ever existed by the end of the year. Yes, the film produces more unintentional laughs than actual scares. Yes, many people will walk out feeling ripped off once the credits roll. And yes, THE DEVIL INSIDE is a bad film, unfortunately, although the incredible red band trailer suggests otherwise. However, the trailer spoils all the "good," jolting parts in the film. Surprise, surprise.
As you can tell, there are many problems regarding the film. However, some of the ones that stand out are the incredibly slow pacing and the dull execution. The few, lazy, cheap scares the film has to offer, the only things left to salvage this dreck from a total waste, are few and far between. To say that the film was tedious to watch would be an understatement. Also, the documentary style serves more to harm than help the film, as every scene that should feel spontaneous and authentic, instead, feel rather staged. With the many problems the film has, the film's biggest crime is the abrupt ending, which is like getting slapped in the face. Just as the film is starting to pick up momentum, it ends as if the filmmakers ran out of budget. Note to all filmmakers: You don't want to anger audiences like that.
The cast don't do much to help elevate the film either. Fernanda Andrade, the female lead, is merely serviceable although nothing memorable. However, Suzan Crowley, in the few scenes that she's in, is rather good for what she had to work with. I can't say much for the rest of the supporting cast, which includes Simon Quarterman, Evan Helmuth, and Ionut Grama. Grama, in particular, is incredibly bad as he tries to make his reactions and emotions feel real that it comes off as forced and awkward.
I suppose the film will open reasonably well in the box office like most found footage films with low budgets and make a cheap buck before disappearing off in the world. However, I'm here to warn you not to give in to what appears to be a fun, scary night at the movie theater. It's a slow, dull film with barely any scares at all. Yes, the potential for the idea is there, but the execution is just bad. THE EXORCIST this is not.
