Kelli Lowry
Columnist
“The Devil Inside” opened Jan. 6, and gave high expectations as a gripping thriller when its previews debuted on television in early December, but many were disappointed.
Compared to past exorcism movies like “The Exorcist”1973 and “The Exorcism of Emily Rose” 2005, this thriller is less than impressive with its weak plot.
Without its disturbing images and jump-out scares, it would have no appeal to horror movie lovers due to its lack of structure and suspense which are the basic elements of a decent horror movie.
From the beginning to the end, “The Devil Inside” has expected jump-out scares and disturbing scenes of exorcisms.
Writer/director William Brent Bell creates the story about a woman, Maria Rossi, played by Suzan Crowley (“Wild About Harry,” “The Knock”), who killed three people during an exorcism in 1989.
Now in present day, the woman’s daughter Isabella Rossi played by Fernanda Andrade (“Why Am I Doing This,” “Fallen”), travels to Rome to visit her in a mental hospital to talk to her since the incident. Scenes of exorcisms unrelated to her mother build the tension until the mother’s actual exorcism.
Ben and David, played by Simon Quaterman (“The Scorpion King: Rise Of A Warrior”) and Evan Helmuth (“Fever Pitch”), and the daughter inherit the mother’s “demons,” and this leads into one of the worst endings in a horror movie in a long time.
“I thought the ending was too rushed and didn’t meet expectations,” said sophomore Alondra Ayala.
At 87 minutes, the movie suddenly ends without explanation about how or why the exorcists and daughter have been possessed. It left audience guessing and surprised by the sudden, unsatisfying ending. It did not meet the high expectations it set out.
Horror movie lovers should not waste their money on this film.
