Download The Last Exorcist
Viola Mathenia
As mentioned in my review, what the filmmakers attempted to do was to NOT give the audience a definitive answer throughout the movie to the question of whether Nell was actually possessed or going through some severe psychological trauma. That "not knowing" kept the movie interesting - and watching the pseudo-exorcist preacher (named Cotton) start out thinking this was just a case of a mental problem but start to doubt himself as the film went on takes the audience along the same thought process.
So at this point, within the last 10 minutes of the film, we're fairly convinced that her problem stems from a combination of her mother's recent death and the fact that she was recently raped but has suppressed any memory of it. At first Cotton believes Nell's father raped her, and then the suspicion falls on the young man in town, but he's not the guy. Cotton and crew turn around and head back to the house.
In the last 10 minutes, the ending seems to completely unravel what was established in the prior hour and a half, implying that the supernatural was indeed at work, and makes the ludicrous assumption not only that the town preacher is actually a satan worshipper, but that the entire church body is as well - and in on the conception and birth of some demon creature.
In the last scene of the movie, Nell gets into a truck parked outside while the house is completely engulfed in flames, and as she drives down the road, every building, and every car, either spontaneously combusts or crumbles as she passes by it. She looks into the rear view mirror, grinning- and cut to the credits.
Weird choice to have a score in a found footage movie and it did distract me a couple of times, but mostly I think this movie still holds up. There are a couple of things that knowing where the movie is going kind of hurts, but it's also been long enough since my last viewing that I didn't remember everything that happened. That contortion stuff is still freaky as heck though! Great concept for a found footage movie and one of the few exorcism movies that I actually enjoy. (Yes, The Exorcist is another one).
Unless I'm mistaken, this is the film that launched a thousand found-footage possession flicks that were all the rage a few years back, and it's easy to see why. It's a fresh take on the supernatural horror movie, with compelling dramatic tension and excellent performances (including the magnetic Caleb Landry Jones). And then, for lagniappe, in the last 5 minutes it goes somewhere both wholly unexpected and completely logical. I have a huge soft spot for slam-bang endings that make you reevaluate everything that went before. I suppose, as with The Mist, this ending is very love it or hate it, and as with The Mist, I'll pitch my tent deep in the "love it" camp.
I had no clue this was a legit awesome movie. Movies having the exorcist title mostly disappoints, except the OG and Emily Rose, so I didn't want to watch this one. And then I saw 70+ rating at RT and also saw it had Patrick Fabian in the lead role. So I thought I will give this a chance and my god it was worth it.
In 1986, Amorth was appointed as an assistant to Cardinal Ugo Poletti, the chief exorcist of the diocese of Rome, whom he later succeeded. He remained in the position until his death. In 1990, he wrote the book An Exorcist Tells His Story, which was translated into 30 different languages and became a bestseller. Around the same time, Amorth founded the International Association of Exorcists. The association, which still exists today, is not impressed with the new film.
Father Gabriele Amorth (1925-2016) was undoubtedly the most famous Catholic exorcist of the modern era. By his account, Amorth performed at least 60,000 exorcisms during the course of his ministry, sparking a renewed interest for exorcism within Catholicism.
The period following witnessed a backlash of conservative charismatic Catholicism with exorcism at the forefront. The work of Catholic exorcists such as Amorth played a significant role in legitimising the modern practice of this ritual.
"Ghost stories," complained Peep Show comedian David Mitchell, "are like an anthology of whodunits entitled Tales in Which the Butler Did it." The Exorcist has the same problem, taking two hours to build to the obvious conclusion, 'Hmmm, this girl could really use an exorcist.' At least The Last Exorcism has the good grace to ponder, 'Did the devil do it?' before answering, 'Er, yes.'
Too bad for poor Nell. When last we saw her in 2010, this backwoods gal was being exorcised by a charlatan of a pastor who realized, a bit too late, that he was dealing with an actual card-carrying demon.
"The young woman had already been seen by an exorcist in Verona, but on Sunday, her parents brought her here, probably to have another go at curing an evil she had suffered for some time," Father Carlo Maria Rossato told La Republica.
An Exorcist Explains the Demonic is also a plea for more research in this field. When he started in this special ministry, Amorth had few resources. Most of the books on the subject were out of print or written for a different time. The principles of spiritual warfare may be perennial but the practical realities of the late 20th Century were particular. Since the publication of his first work in the 1990s, Amorth has witnessed a number of initiatives that suggest that, at last, the subject of the demonic is once more being taken seriously, reflecting a pressing need for holy and well-informed ministers not just for Catholics but also for the wider society.
It would be fair to say that Pope Francis does not shy away from talking on this subject. Amorth, in his turn, therefore, does not shy away from giving the Holy Father some advice. He says that every diocese should be obliged to have an exorcist; that seminary courses must include again the subjects of angelology and demonology; and that the ministry of exorcism should be extended to all priests. Interestingly, on this last point, he cites the example of the Romanian Orthodox Church where every monastery has a monk dedicated to this work and that anyone can call upon his services simply by visiting the monastery.
The film is told from the perspective of a disillusioned evangelical minister, who after years of performing exorcisms decides to participate in a documentary chronicling his last exorcism while exposing the fraud of his ministry. After receiving a letter from a farmer asking for help in driving out the devil, he meets the farmer's afflicted daughter.
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