I’ve been pretty disappointed with the most recent possession-related films I’ve watched, so just the thought of another entry in the sub-genre is a rather daunting one. Still, intrigue got the best of me and I caved, deciding to give Eric Courtney’s An Irish Exorcism a fair shot. Luckily for me, Courtney and his small cast/crew were able to wipe that bitter taste from my mouth that its recent exorcism counterparts had left.
Lorraine (Aislinn Ní Uallacháin) has convinced her reluctant friend/cameraman to help her make a documentary about exorcism. After interviewing a couple of local priests, Lorraine becomes aware that there is actually a case of possession occurring presently and Fr. Byrne (Brian Fortune), one of the priests she interviewed, is leading the case. Lorraine manages to finagle herself and her camera into the house of the possessed victim and capture footage of the proceedings…
An Irish Exorcism turned out to be a huge surprise! I expected nothing more than another low-budget found footage film that I just couldn’t wait to end. Instead, I got an overall great production. The acting was executed brilliantly and the story itself was enthralling the entire way through. This time I wasn’t counting down the minutes, hoping the film would be over; I was counting down the minutes to see what the end would bring!
The highlight of most exorcism or possession films is the actual scene [or scenes] of the priest [or holy person] performing the ritual. Some form of writhing and retching takes place, where the possessed person’s body contorts in ways that no human body should ever twist, all while screaming in ancient tongues. The beauty of Courtney’s film, however, is all of that stuff is left to the audience’s imagination. This may sound strange, but we never actually get to see inside the room where the victim, Lisa, is being subdued. We hear sounds, witness the lights flickering, and the camera malfunctioning, but all of the visuals are left for us to create. Most people may not like this, but I found it highly effective and very original. Instead of trying to pull off theatrics that perhaps were not available due to budget restraints, Courtney and writer, Martin Robinson, were clever enough to circumvent the issue all together.
I really was very pleasantly surprised by An Irish Exorcism throughout its entirety. I’ve seen plenty of exorcism movies and even more found footage films, but none that have ever felt so intimate and authentic. I’m not sure how, but they really managed to pull off something special here. It may not be the greatest horror film out there, but it certainly deserves your attention. The acting was on point from all parties involved and the plot was easy enough to follow without being overly predictable.
You can pick up a copy of An Irish Exorcism on DVD and VOD this Tuesday, May 12th from Virgil Films. I give this flick 3.5 ripped out diary pages out of 5.
