I'm not opposed to found footage films, I might be in the minority here. I think you can take what was a gimmick used back in 1999 with the Blair Witch and do some interesting things with it , I mean the fact it's being used fourteen years later says something, I think the first Last Exorcism did this well. I liked the way the tone changed and was not bothered by the more fantasy infused ending. The sequel had some balls to abandon this format and strike out on its own path, but doesn't have the tonal shit just got real shift the first film has.
Ashley Bell reprises her role as Nell Sweetzer and she makes the movie. Her character is more interesting in the setting of a half way house where she is trying to find her way since surviving the backwoods cult. Her acting is on
Ar with the first film though the actually possession doesn't get much screen time. The Demond Abalam is smitten with her and wants to get her back so perhaps this is a horror romance, Nell doesn't play hard to get as much a sorry devil it's not you it's me and I've decided you aren't real.
The coming of age plot uses what most films do sex and it's temptation as the plot device, there's a crush on a boy, a fist kiss, and then listening to a couple in the next room of the hotel she works at fuck that really pulls herin. I liked how the infection of lust seeped out from the wall paper. The scen where her hand is possessed to masturbate is not only very relatable but I think served the film well, in some ways it reminded me of Danny in the Shining.
I think there was a lot of stuff that could have been fleshd out more, the cult in New Orleane , we are aware there were was something sinister going on just like there were the voodoo good guys who came to help I think having the bad guys more defined would have added more tension, I suppose it could be argued Nell was hallucinating someon that but the preacher would have been scarier if there was more of a tie. Ok we got dead ravens and some creepers at Mardi GRAS which which strangely uncrowned for Mardi GRAS . The connection to her room,ate was a little two dimensional, was her room mate reall out to get her , the smiles were subtle. I think the tension level and emotional investment could have been expanded on maybe the zoo trip trimmed down and some of the time spent vacuuming.
I will say the other big thing that hampered the film was its pg13 rating. Horror movies should all be rated r . Make it a law and allow the directors to give audiences what the want, there needed to be a lesbian scen with her and her room mate. The gore was pretty tame, I can understand taking a Hitchcock position and what your imagination sees I your minds eye is always scarirer but it seemed like it was toned down from the first film. The first film felt creepier as you knew they were secluded at the farm house, there needed to be something to make up for that. The whole End of Days feeling could have been expanded upon, I think the first film was just a lot scarier l the opening scene worked great but the tension dropped once we got to the half way house. It was however not a bad movie as sequels go. I liked most of how it was shot I think it could have been darker in tone, and not sure why I felt it wasn't dark enough, it was better than End of days , Stigmata and the Possession and well most other movies of thi silk since the first film with only Devil Inside being better and the second Paranormal Activity. So if you are Adam of this exorcism sub genre or Omen like supernatural end of times sort of thing check it out. If not its worth a rainy day on net flicks.
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