Deliver Us from Evil

Demons are lousy room painters, and owls are not what they seem. A senselessly swollen mix of police procedural, a dark Fincher thriller about the crisis of (post) postmodern society, and all the exorcist horror movies you've ever seen. Instead of a chilling treatment of the actual events, Satchie's supposedly real case appears to be a confused excerpt of a viewer who has seen far too many genre films. Derrickson's style is very cumbersome compared to the sophistication and accuracy of Sinister, and there is very little work with gradation. After a few minutes, when guys with loose make-up and creaking devil whores parade on the screen, the film moves exactly on the unpleasant edge of terror and mockery. Although in my opinion he never went too far to one side, he also certainly didn't settle on the good one either. An excessive number of aggressive and unimaginative jump scares, this time mostly dysfunctionally involved in various ways of shooting, a couple of traditionally luxurious sonic terrors that are important for storytelling, excellently cast starring roles, and proof that Doors are evil only good enough for Sumerian demons. I was expecting an (un)pleasant summer ride through a haunted castle in the style of the excellent Conjuring, and what I got was a confused patchwork of many films blinded by didactic discussions about good, evil and atonement for guilt. Were it not for the traditionally powerful Bana and especially Ramirez, who should be hired by the Vatican as a sexy Jesuit, it would be a mess. This way, its slightly above-average, but at the same time a demonstration that Derrickson doesn’t do all that well in a genre that he should be good at. Of his three horrors, Deliver Us from Evil is the weakest. (02/07/2014)

Technically, this is absolutely divine. Legendary shot composition, transitions in focus, lighting, and masks. Thank you. The rest of the cast, led by the haha hoo hoo owl and the integrated demonic MP3 in the hero's head, does its best to make you spit Bruckheimer-flavored popcorn at the screen and giggle through the next two scenes. Fortunately, we're told that the senselessness of the dark forces' actions is due to the fact that we as humans are unable to grasp it, so that takes care of that. Plus, I'm of the opinion that Scott Derrickson’s ol’ pal Jesus should dock his allowance. (25/10/2014)

As the lightning struck a lone tree by the roadside, I began to suspect where the director's path would lead. This is because Derrickson's undoubted talent was given a financial infusion and bigger-name actors, but in doing so, he signed up for the Bruckheimerian devil that relies on clichés and plot banalities in the plot. In fact, it’s not really pulled off even by the few skillfully-conceived scary scenes and instead makes you lament how dysfunctional the chemistry between the characters is. This makes it subjectively about half an hour longer, and slightly more excruciating in the end than the filmmakers intended. (07/11/2014)

The elements of ghost horror movies set in an A-rated thriller a la Se7en – a tough cop with a flashlight finds his way through the darkness. The script is not exactly inventive, but the craftsmanship is perfect. Scott Derrickson knows what he’s doing. The main character is not a one-dimensional good guy; he has his own skeleton in the closet he has to deal with. The atypical priest becomes an important sidekick. The film is aided by its fast pace, the hellish make-up of the main bad guy (Sean Harris, who plays him, also deserves praise) and the instrumentally varied music by Christopher Young, which is monumental bordering on frightening. The slow start escalates into an intense horror experience. The use of music by The Doors is strange, but it gives the film a certain cool feel and individuality. “Vengeance always destroys the avenger.” (07/08/2014)

A decent exorcist thriller that puts its money on a realistic environment. No shortage of surprises - and they work pretty well, even though nothing absolutely amazing and, if it wasn’t for the fairly standard story, I would definitely give it four stars. The clash in the finale was intense, thrilling and breathtaking. Derrickson has a talent at creating a great atmosphere, Dr. Strange is in good hands. (28/10/2014)