36 reviews
Molly Hartley is not a well-known name on possession game, it's also a straight to DVD title which might not instill hope for quality. Surprisingly, it has a few nifty gimmicks at play as it tries to conjure different setup than most of its haunted peers. It also, sadly, falls face first with corny scares and unintentionally funny moment just when it needs to deliver the horror.
Story follows not only Molly (Sarah Lind), but also the disgraced Father John (Devon Sawa). After a botched exorcism, mostly due to his part, John is convicted and lost his faith. Meanwhile, Molly displays odd tendency for murder and unworldly pranks. Instead of going Vatican on her, they throw her to jail, which admittedly a rather realistic choice of action.
There are a few different developments that occasionally show glimpse of horror. It creates the right atmosphere, or at least the illusion of such, and with it the movie tries to pull off timely twists. This is already a better effort than some horror films, but unfortunately the execution betrays all the buildup.
The use of jump scares is appalling, almost despicably so. Molly is also keen on spewing her meals unto unsuspecting victims. The effect and make up are not well done, they only manage to be disgusting and not in horrifying way. Perhaps, the worst is amalgamation of shifty production and overacting that makes some of supposed intense moments into awkward parody of itself.
Watching this is like watching devil spawn trying to be full-fledged demon. It almost does horror correctly, but eventually falls down like a kindergarten kid tripping over his bike and puke all over the place. Then again, one can't help but to give some merit or leniency to the effort and buildup.
Story follows not only Molly (Sarah Lind), but also the disgraced Father John (Devon Sawa). After a botched exorcism, mostly due to his part, John is convicted and lost his faith. Meanwhile, Molly displays odd tendency for murder and unworldly pranks. Instead of going Vatican on her, they throw her to jail, which admittedly a rather realistic choice of action.
There are a few different developments that occasionally show glimpse of horror. It creates the right atmosphere, or at least the illusion of such, and with it the movie tries to pull off timely twists. This is already a better effort than some horror films, but unfortunately the execution betrays all the buildup.
The use of jump scares is appalling, almost despicably so. Molly is also keen on spewing her meals unto unsuspecting victims. The effect and make up are not well done, they only manage to be disgusting and not in horrifying way. Perhaps, the worst is amalgamation of shifty production and overacting that makes some of supposed intense moments into awkward parody of itself.
Watching this is like watching devil spawn trying to be full-fledged demon. It almost does horror correctly, but eventually falls down like a kindergarten kid tripping over his bike and puke all over the place. Then again, one can't help but to give some merit or leniency to the effort and buildup.
- quincytheodore
- Oct 10, 2015
- Permalink
I remember watching the haunting of Molly Hartley years ago, which was alright and me being me I had to give this movie a shot. It was pretty good up until like the last minute which was a typical ending for this type of movie. Now it had its moments of originality but a lot of scenes made me think The Exorcist, green vomit stains around the mouth, the discoloration of her face, letters forming on the skin then it disappears,the breaking of the restraints and rising above a bed. This movie was not bad but not good either. To me this movie wasn't that scary and kind of predictable, but it still had some interesting scenes. I thought it was kind of slow but had its moments for me to keep watching until the end. I gave this movie a 5 out of 10 rating because like I said it wasn't absolutely horrible but not a terrifying exorcism movie
- itsmeHeatherC23
- Jun 29, 2016
- Permalink
I found it to be a pretty good exorcism movie actually. The scenes were very creepy. The acting was quite good. There were only two things that kind of ruined the movie for me. The first was the choice of actor for the exorcist. They would have been better off picking an average looking Joe. Instead we get super model, chiseled, father sexy stubble.
The second and worst part was the ending. I'll be honest, the ending was just plain terrible. They had a great twist going and somehow just said to heck with it when writing the screen play. The ending had scenes that made little sense in how they developed, and the writers apparently were just tired of writing the movie.
The second and worst part was the ending. I'll be honest, the ending was just plain terrible. They had a great twist going and somehow just said to heck with it when writing the screen play. The ending had scenes that made little sense in how they developed, and the writers apparently were just tired of writing the movie.
- twhit-91475
- Nov 21, 2015
- Permalink
- FlashCallahan
- Jan 3, 2016
- Permalink
This movie is awful, hilarious, but awful. Never have I seen such a cliché film, this movie tries so hard to be scary but in doing so it does the complete opposite. This movie is hilarious though, the amount of "scares" that are directly ripped off of other movies in the genre are absolutely astounding. If you have seen any horror movie about exorcisms you have seen this movie there are so many better versions of this exact movie. I have no idea what the director was thinking when he made this rubbish but he seriously needs to consider a different profession. Despite what I've said I would actually recommend this movie (not as a horror) because it is so funny. Drinking game idea: Every time a horror cliché or something directly from another movie, take a shot. Warning: You'll be dead by the time the movie ends.
- sploogemaster
- Jul 8, 2016
- Permalink
Judging from the number of fake reviews here already (come on IMDb, sort it out), it looks as though 20th Century Fox have got their interns rattling out fake shill reviews to try and make a few dollars out of this tripe. While marginally better than the first Molly Hartley film, this one is still pretty much in the 'utter nonsense' category. The storyline is below weak; preposterously stupid in the most part, the acting is simply dire. I felt offended that anyone would release this garbage for viewing by the public at large. The 'acting' is absolutely shocking. I doubt any of the cast would make it into a High School play let alone (one hopes) another film. As a horror fan I get to watch a lot of bilge, and this one is near the very bottom of the pile. Best avoided. I look forward to exorcising this rubbish from my Hard drive.
- jackstupidjack
- Nov 3, 2015
- Permalink
- h-gaitherbrandenburg
- Apr 26, 2016
- Permalink
- rayzor-48900
- Aug 3, 2016
- Permalink
This is one of them procedural horror flicks full of actors you've never seen before and will never see again. Seeming cast for there looks rather than their abilities it has that feel of a Showtime "After Dark" soft porn.
I love horror flick and am always tempted by the thumbnails but can always tell in the first 10 minutes by the horrible lighting, writing and acting that is's "one of those" horror movies. If you know what I'm talking about then you know exactly what this movie is like.
I love horror flick and am always tempted by the thumbnails but can always tell in the first 10 minutes by the horrible lighting, writing and acting that is's "one of those" horror movies. If you know what I'm talking about then you know exactly what this movie is like.
- workshop-226-743561
- Feb 28, 2018
- Permalink
This movie was the biggest visual masterpiece out of any horror of 2015. Hands down. Also up there for best horror of 2015 as well. The cinematography and sound works well to immerse you in this atmosphere, capturing the madness behind Molly's possession.
A definite trip worth the time to watch. It will not disappoint and I don't know what users have to gain from not giving credit where it is due. Should be much higher rated on IMDb.
This is a horror revival of the things that most directors are forgetting in a horror movie these days. And it wasn't even hyped up as the other movies out there which turned out to be huge disappointment like "Anabelle" and "Insidious Chapter 3." This one actually has flair, substance and appeal to true horror fans.
Trust me, it will take you back to your 1970s The Exorcist days.
A definite trip worth the time to watch. It will not disappoint and I don't know what users have to gain from not giving credit where it is due. Should be much higher rated on IMDb.
This is a horror revival of the things that most directors are forgetting in a horror movie these days. And it wasn't even hyped up as the other movies out there which turned out to be huge disappointment like "Anabelle" and "Insidious Chapter 3." This one actually has flair, substance and appeal to true horror fans.
Trust me, it will take you back to your 1970s The Exorcist days.
It's a sequel to the haunting in Molly... and that movie was more teen audience based, this is where the movie makers took the critique and molded it into a better second movie. One of the few horror movies which the sequel is better than the first. It was mainly an OK film. The way it began I doubted it would be. It picked up though. If you are into exorcisms as I am you will like this. The most unconvincing was the female lead actor. she didn't have the gravitas or the chops for the role. Devon Sawa justified his role as a priest. Just my opinion. Is it me or did the ending point to another exorcism in a future film? I'm giving it a generous 7out of 10.
- tabish_ronan
- Oct 7, 2015
- Permalink
This is a complete trainwreck of a movie. Everything that was good about The Haunting of Molly Hartley is gone in this dud of a movie. I couldn't even finish it and I finished Show Girls. Don't bother with this sequel and just consider the first one the one and only.
- the_nephilim71
- Oct 25, 2018
- Permalink
Me and my friend love scary movies, this was such a disappointment it was more disturbing then scary. the makeup was really good. this was a really bad plot though. ending was so dumb, it was funny. some good actors, some bad. a little confusing, had to pause the movie to recap what happened and try to understand. it tried way to hard to be scary that we were laughing. we've watched both the conjurings, the nun, amittyville horror, the boy, the exorcism of emily rose, and many more this by far the worst movie out of all of them. If you like disturbing movies, this movie would be good for you. Me and my friend were eating while watching this and it was so gross and disturbing that we couldn't eat anymore. Which could be both a good and a bad thing. The makeup was so amazing that that's one of the reasons why it has 2 stars, and the other star is just for the effort put into making the movie a little scary. Actually scrap that the other star was for the guy that got stabbed in the head with the scissors, his face was priceless 😹. But overall if your looking for a disturbing movie, this ones for you, but if your looking for a scary movie, don't even watch the trailer you'll be disappointed.
- alexandrakinsey
- Jun 17, 2020
- Permalink
- cliometrician
- Oct 13, 2015
- Permalink
Even though the first film (The Haunting of Molly Hartley) had disappointed me (to say the least), I still decided to give the sequel a shot, mostly due to my understanding that it would involve demonic possessions and exorcisms, which make for a good plot and a fine scare when done right. After watching it, all I can say is that I'm glad I've given it a shot, but only because I've made sure to really lower my expectations.
The story line is pretty decent, if a little corny and tacky. All grown up and celebrating her 24th birthday, Molly (Sarah Lind, a fine actress given bad instructions by an obviously mediocre director) secretly awaits the conclusion of her destiny - to give birth to Satan. To her aid come Laurie Hawthorne (Gina Holden), her doctor at the mental institution, and John Barrow (Devon Sawa), a former priest stripped of his authority after an error of judgment in his previous exorcism cause the death of his fellow priest and the possessed woman. Consumed by guilt and regret, Barlow hopes to salvage his soul by helping Molly.
Besides the story, decent acting and pretty good characters - everything else is the same let down I've grown to expect after the first film. Director Steven R. Monroe has taken screenwriter Matt Venne's good enough story and botched it with blunt and preposterous overacting, attempting to achieve a dramatic effect but failing. Both Molly and Barrow are overly melodramatic, with dialogues and monologues resembling fan-fiction written by an enthusiastic junior- high fan-girl. Absolutely nothing about the film original, and some scenes seem to have shamelessly stolen (flies and vomit from The Exorcism, the twisted crawling on all fours from The Ring/Ringu, and the hidden antagonist from The Last Exorcism, for instance). And then, of course, the completely unnecessary nudity and sex scene in the beginning... Any Horror film using that pathetic cheat is not to be taken seriously unless other aspects of it are a total divine masterpiece, which is not nearly the case for The Exorcism of Molly Hartley.
All in all, anything and everything that makes for a good exorcism film is stolen (and no, not in the way of tribute and homage, simply in the way of "I got nothing, let's steal it"). This includes the forced plot twist. Am I glad I've given this film a chance? Yes (as it's quite entertaining if one expects it to be terrible). Have I been pleasantly surprised? Absolutely not. Still beats the first film, but hardly.
The story line is pretty decent, if a little corny and tacky. All grown up and celebrating her 24th birthday, Molly (Sarah Lind, a fine actress given bad instructions by an obviously mediocre director) secretly awaits the conclusion of her destiny - to give birth to Satan. To her aid come Laurie Hawthorne (Gina Holden), her doctor at the mental institution, and John Barrow (Devon Sawa), a former priest stripped of his authority after an error of judgment in his previous exorcism cause the death of his fellow priest and the possessed woman. Consumed by guilt and regret, Barlow hopes to salvage his soul by helping Molly.
Besides the story, decent acting and pretty good characters - everything else is the same let down I've grown to expect after the first film. Director Steven R. Monroe has taken screenwriter Matt Venne's good enough story and botched it with blunt and preposterous overacting, attempting to achieve a dramatic effect but failing. Both Molly and Barrow are overly melodramatic, with dialogues and monologues resembling fan-fiction written by an enthusiastic junior- high fan-girl. Absolutely nothing about the film original, and some scenes seem to have shamelessly stolen (flies and vomit from The Exorcism, the twisted crawling on all fours from The Ring/Ringu, and the hidden antagonist from The Last Exorcism, for instance). And then, of course, the completely unnecessary nudity and sex scene in the beginning... Any Horror film using that pathetic cheat is not to be taken seriously unless other aspects of it are a total divine masterpiece, which is not nearly the case for The Exorcism of Molly Hartley.
All in all, anything and everything that makes for a good exorcism film is stolen (and no, not in the way of tribute and homage, simply in the way of "I got nothing, let's steal it"). This includes the forced plot twist. Am I glad I've given this film a chance? Yes (as it's quite entertaining if one expects it to be terrible). Have I been pleasantly surprised? Absolutely not. Still beats the first film, but hardly.
- nitzanhavoc
- Mar 28, 2016
- Permalink
- Edvis-1997
- Jun 9, 2018
- Permalink
So many Canadians actors in this movie. They only told them or they only wanted hire those? What's the secret? This possession happened in Canada?
- lionking8142002
- Oct 25, 2019
- Permalink
Matt Venne is the writer behind "The Exorcism Of Molly Hartley" and he does a nice job respecting the first film's story line. He picks up on the established mythos surrounding Molly's fated pack with Satan. Where the first film was good at masking the true story behind a playful haunting of a emotionally troubled high school girl, Venne exploits the demonic aspect to create a familiar, and obvious story line that pulls from all the possession lore available. It does, at times seem too cookie-cutter and expected, but "The Exorcism Of Molly Hartley" maintains the initial "truth" of Molly's situation established in the first film so I actually enjoyed watching this all play out.
The cast and directing are stellar, both Lind and Sawa give great performances, Lind as Hartley-a victim of circumstance, and Sawa as her savior-who is also soiled by his dealings with the devil as a "failed" exorcist searching for redemption. It all could have been too hokey, redundant, or too contrived, but with Venne's script and Monroe's steady direction, "The Exorcism Of Molly Hartley" manages an enjoyable, creepy possession flick. Of course I love pretty much any film or story that revolves around exorcisms and demonic possession-next to Satanic cult horror-it is one of the few Christian themes I do enjoy in pop-lore.
The special effects stay a steady blend of CGI and practical effects magic. The CGI is done with consideration to how "real" it will look on film so I didn't mind it. It actually works well here, plus there is enough practical, visceral stuff in "The Exorcism Of Molly Hartley" that I have to give props to the FX department. And I always enjoy seeing the creature make-up effects when creating the demon face of the possessed. Even if it all just looks so "Reagan- esque". The soundtrack and musical score are the expected creepy tones, and even though it isn't original, it isn't disposable.
Overall "The Exorcism Of Molly Hartley" gives a nice demonic possession story with a solid story arc, it does seem a bit familiar-there are moments when it falls into the overplayed themes scene in these types of horror films. But-that being said-the movie has a nice devil cult aspect added to it when gives the ending a nice dark ending filled with both the spectacle and the flare of evil agenda that I enjoyed. There is one moment that is more laughable that thrilling-you will see it and know it-but most of the film stays serious, dark, and focused on the demonic fate of Molly Hartley in a more thrilling way than the first film.
The cast and directing are stellar, both Lind and Sawa give great performances, Lind as Hartley-a victim of circumstance, and Sawa as her savior-who is also soiled by his dealings with the devil as a "failed" exorcist searching for redemption. It all could have been too hokey, redundant, or too contrived, but with Venne's script and Monroe's steady direction, "The Exorcism Of Molly Hartley" manages an enjoyable, creepy possession flick. Of course I love pretty much any film or story that revolves around exorcisms and demonic possession-next to Satanic cult horror-it is one of the few Christian themes I do enjoy in pop-lore.
The special effects stay a steady blend of CGI and practical effects magic. The CGI is done with consideration to how "real" it will look on film so I didn't mind it. It actually works well here, plus there is enough practical, visceral stuff in "The Exorcism Of Molly Hartley" that I have to give props to the FX department. And I always enjoy seeing the creature make-up effects when creating the demon face of the possessed. Even if it all just looks so "Reagan- esque". The soundtrack and musical score are the expected creepy tones, and even though it isn't original, it isn't disposable.
Overall "The Exorcism Of Molly Hartley" gives a nice demonic possession story with a solid story arc, it does seem a bit familiar-there are moments when it falls into the overplayed themes scene in these types of horror films. But-that being said-the movie has a nice devil cult aspect added to it when gives the ending a nice dark ending filled with both the spectacle and the flare of evil agenda that I enjoyed. There is one moment that is more laughable that thrilling-you will see it and know it-but most of the film stays serious, dark, and focused on the demonic fate of Molly Hartley in a more thrilling way than the first film.
- ASouthernHorrorFan
- Oct 12, 2015
- Permalink
- nogodnomasters
- Apr 15, 2018
- Permalink
Confined to a mental asylum, a troubled woman subjects a series of violent attacks and confrontations on the staff and patients within that slowly drives a former priest to conclude that she's possessed by a demonic being and must summon his faith to exorcise the creature out of her.
This ended up being a decent enough effort. Among its virtues is the fact that this one manages to effectively utilize it's rather chilling horror setups rather effectively. Although it's all quite obvious, the early exorcism attempt at the house which sets his later banishment into motion is an effective opener that gets this going on a strong note while the later incident at the apartment complex which leads to her incarceration is an enjoyable twist on conventions that plays off rather nicely. Helped along by the distorted, demonic voices continually calling out or the sudden outbursts of supernatural activity that come as a sudden shock to the afflicted individual that continually force themselves along here, this one manages to set-up some convincing need for the later supernatural scenes. Once this moves into her at the asylum, the supernatural situations here are far more enjoyable that enhance the need for something to be done against her. Starting with their initial encounter which results in the massive vomiting and supernatural attack that carries over into the numerous encounters inside her cell where she throws people across the room into the walls or causing strange encounters to the others at the facility that prove the tell-tale signs of possession. Once this goes into the actual exorcism, this one has a lot to actually like. Utilizing plenty of fine techniques to cleanse her while detailing the various methods she has to best him, the back-and-forth nature of their confrontation is long, engaging and rather fun. That it lasts for several rounds with both sides attempting to gain the upper hand which gives it a lot of fun that's far better than expected and really sells itself quite nicely. These here manage to make this enjoyable enough to overcome its minor issues. The main flaw on display here is the fact that the ending is completely out-of-bounds with the rest of the story and serves no connection to the rest of the film. It really seems to come in from another movie entirely as it's tacked on nature goes completely against anything that had been told before and is simply there to add to the running time with the exorcism accomplished long before the ending which causes this surprise setup to come out of nowhere in order to make it even longer. As well, it has a disturbingly low level of sleaze present for such a story which is a bit surprising in that the typically profane and over-the-top performances aren't found as they normally are here. The cliche nature of this might also be a problem for some, but otherwise, it's not all that bad.
Rated R: Graphic Violence, Full Nudity, Language and a sex scene.
This ended up being a decent enough effort. Among its virtues is the fact that this one manages to effectively utilize it's rather chilling horror setups rather effectively. Although it's all quite obvious, the early exorcism attempt at the house which sets his later banishment into motion is an effective opener that gets this going on a strong note while the later incident at the apartment complex which leads to her incarceration is an enjoyable twist on conventions that plays off rather nicely. Helped along by the distorted, demonic voices continually calling out or the sudden outbursts of supernatural activity that come as a sudden shock to the afflicted individual that continually force themselves along here, this one manages to set-up some convincing need for the later supernatural scenes. Once this moves into her at the asylum, the supernatural situations here are far more enjoyable that enhance the need for something to be done against her. Starting with their initial encounter which results in the massive vomiting and supernatural attack that carries over into the numerous encounters inside her cell where she throws people across the room into the walls or causing strange encounters to the others at the facility that prove the tell-tale signs of possession. Once this goes into the actual exorcism, this one has a lot to actually like. Utilizing plenty of fine techniques to cleanse her while detailing the various methods she has to best him, the back-and-forth nature of their confrontation is long, engaging and rather fun. That it lasts for several rounds with both sides attempting to gain the upper hand which gives it a lot of fun that's far better than expected and really sells itself quite nicely. These here manage to make this enjoyable enough to overcome its minor issues. The main flaw on display here is the fact that the ending is completely out-of-bounds with the rest of the story and serves no connection to the rest of the film. It really seems to come in from another movie entirely as it's tacked on nature goes completely against anything that had been told before and is simply there to add to the running time with the exorcism accomplished long before the ending which causes this surprise setup to come out of nowhere in order to make it even longer. As well, it has a disturbingly low level of sleaze present for such a story which is a bit surprising in that the typically profane and over-the-top performances aren't found as they normally are here. The cliche nature of this might also be a problem for some, but otherwise, it's not all that bad.
Rated R: Graphic Violence, Full Nudity, Language and a sex scene.
- kannibalcorpsegrinder
- Apr 5, 2018
- Permalink
The movie is basically about a girl named Molly Hartley who gets possessed by a demon and a church father that comes to her aid.
When you see this movie you are going to think the same I thought I have seen all of this before. This movie had its thrills, suspense and chills. The exorcism was good. The beginning we may be like it's the same story again and again but it changes. The ending of the movie was unexpected and unpredictable. The actress who did Molly did a good job and not to forget the female doctor.
Yes and No I have mixed feelings in recommending this movie to anyone as I feel some might like it some might not.
Notable Acting
Sarah Lind
Gina Holden famous for her movies like Final destination 3, fantastic four, Saw 3d and many more.
My Rating 6/10
When you see this movie you are going to think the same I thought I have seen all of this before. This movie had its thrills, suspense and chills. The exorcism was good. The beginning we may be like it's the same story again and again but it changes. The ending of the movie was unexpected and unpredictable. The actress who did Molly did a good job and not to forget the female doctor.
Yes and No I have mixed feelings in recommending this movie to anyone as I feel some might like it some might not.
Notable Acting
Sarah Lind
Gina Holden famous for her movies like Final destination 3, fantastic four, Saw 3d and many more.
My Rating 6/10
- vishnu-dileep08
- Sep 15, 2017
- Permalink
I'd beat the damn devil out her! Everyday for 5 mins. See me come in, kick that azz, and leave, and repeat...LOL
- lionking8142002
- Oct 25, 2019
- Permalink
I love exorcism movies. This was so bad I came here to leave a review. It's pretty enough and a competently made film, but it's not entertaining, compelling, or scary. It's just bad and you can find many better things to do with ~100 minutes of your life
- asalcewicz
- Sep 19, 2020
- Permalink