Somehow, these exorcism flicks still manage to get produced. I’m only surprised because of the lack of potential variety in the premise. Since “The Exorcist”, we’ve seen quite a lot of exorcisms in cinema. I’ve yet to see one differ much in almost any detail, as “The Exorcist” seemed to cover the process pretty thoroughly. And vividly.
And yet, I still find myself tensed up when I ought to be tensed up and wondering just how on earth the priest and his teammate are going to get through the blasted thing. Perhaps I’m just a sucker for it all. Eric Bana struggles throughout to passably portray a twenty year veteran cop in the Bronx. It’s almost as if he’s got all the pieces and knows all the mannerisms but still can’t quite find the depths of the personal hell that the life of a New York beat cop almost can’t help but soak up.
At the end of the day, it’s a well made picture, with darkness and spooky and all that jazz. If you’re a horror fan looking for a quick fix, this won’t completely waste your time. You just might check your phone a couple of times in the bits that have been played time and again in the myriad films that preceded it.
LOS ANGELES FILM REVIEW 