To Horrify or Not to Horrify That is the Question…

The Rite, 2011

Another exorcism film based on real events (is it just me or are there a troubling number of these?!) directed by Mikael Håfström.

I was mostly drawn to this film because I have a bit of a crush on Colin O’Donoghue (Captain Hook/Killian Jones in Once Upon a Time) and I’m generally a fan of Anthony Hopkins.  While it wasn’t entirely what I was expecting, it was a somewhat intriguing and entertaining film.

Colin O’Donoghue plays Michael Kovak, the son of an undertaker (Rutger Hauer).  It doesn’t bode well for him that Michael has one of two career choices ahead of him – undertaker or priest. He chooses what he considers to be the lesser of two evils – becoming a priest. After 4 Years of training as a priest, Michael is thinking of quitting, but Father Matthew (Toby Jones) recognizes his potential and encourages him to travel to Italy to do a course in exorcism.

A keen student of psychology, Michael is clearly sceptical about demonic possession and isn’t overly secure in his faith in general. He is running away from his past into a future that he’s not so sure about either.

Michael is not convinced of the presence of demons and deep down thinks that believing in them gives ‘them’ (the victim’s psychosis) power.  However, he is introduced to an experienced exorcist by the name of Father Lucas Trevent who proceeds to show Michael how exorcisms are performed.  Hopkins plays the wonderfully tormented ‘less conventional’ priest Father Lucas, and Ciarán Hinds is suitably severe as the ‘exorcist trainer’ Father Xavier. 

I must admit I watched this film expecting to be scared in the usual exorcism horror movie way.  This film is less a horror film and more a film about a young man rediscovering his faith and it just happens to involve some very clichéd possessed people and exorcisms.  As a non – religious person I enjoyed Michael’s skepticism even in the face of things that looked clearly supernatural to the audience.  He manages to explain almost everything that happens using psychology. He is skeptical to the point that even I was thinking “Come on! It’s clear she’s possessed, just deal with it!”.  However, I was also a bit disappointed by how quickly and drastically his views changed.

Overall I enjoyed the film as more of a study in human nature and what motivates our decisions, than as a genuine horror movie. Don’t expect big scares in this one.