As the summer continues to swelter on, my search for new or new to me horror movies continues as well. I try to stay current on new movies being released or in production, but every once in awhile, one or two will slip past my viewing radar. With the many streaming sources available today, it makes movie hunting a lot easier. I was clicking through Tubi the other night and happened across this possible gem. I read the synopsis and watched the trailer and I liked what I saw. Also, I never pay attention to reviews online, but a lot of people said this was a decent possession movie, so I thought I would give The Assent a whirl.
SYNOPSIS:
A widower reluctantly seeks the help of a disgraced priest to save his son, whom he believes is possessed by the Devil.
MY 2 CENTS
Judging from the synopsis, The Assent sounds like it would be your typical, generic possession movie, but it is far from that. The father (Joel) is battling schizophrenia trying to control it through medication and the use of a Polaroid camera, so when he hallucinates, he can snap a picture and tell whether his “monster” is real or in his head. Afraid that his young son (Mason) maybe showing signs of schizophrenia, as well, but not wanting to see him end up in an asylum, Joel enlists the help of a controversial priest by the name of Father Lambert whose last patient died during his exorcism. As the movie progresses, it gets darker and more disturbing, and by the time the movie wraps up, it’s twisted story makes you want to re-watch it immediately. Be sure to catch all the clues that the final act reveals.
WRAP UP
The Assent will be a love it or hate it kind of movie. I am in the former group; I thought it was a new vision in the possession sub-genre, even though this was released in 2019 and got mixed reviews at best. While I can see the reasons why it wasn’t madly popular, the acting and the story totally worked for me. It had some pacing issues and some plot holes here and there, but if you can just leave your brain at the door, this is an interesting take on possession and mental illness.
The Assent is free on Tubi, Sling TV, and Fandango at Home. It is also available elsewhere for rental or on DVD.
MY GRADE:
B+
