The Rite

Though of varying quality, films about demotic possession have been plastered across the cinema screens in recent years. The reason, despite the dubious entertainment value of some of them, is that audiences love to watch them. So the latest entry, The Rite, will probably make some decent coin, which would be a fair return for a film that whilst no great shakes, is still a half decent watch. The storyline concerns sceptical trainee priest Michael (Colin O’Donoghue) whose own faith has been tested by personal events and is sent to witness an exorcist (Anthony Hopkins) at work. However, during an exorcism of a teenage girl, odd happenings begin to occur that cannot be fully explained…or can they? Basically, this is run of the mill stuff (you’ll be unsurprised to hear the film has the same producers as the similarly themed The Exorcism Of Emily Rose), but a few nice scenes of ambiguity give the film a touch of eeriness. Swedish director Mikael Hafstrom has a chequered history when it comes to horror films, but he appears to have learnt his lessons from previous outings in that this is a much toned down film compared to previous efforts. In reality, despite the advertising and trailer, this shouldn’t really be classified as a horror film at all as it’s more a general study of one man’s faith and the religious order he belongs too. Hafstrom also attended real exorcisms as part of his preparation for the film, so at least he can’t be accused of not doing his homework. It’s a shame then that it all unravels so quickly at the end as any subtlety goes out the door and Hopkins, great up until that point, starts hamming it up to an alarming effect. I suspect some studio interference here, and it’s a pity as this could have been the thinking person’s “horror” film. What we have instead is, ironically much like the possessed teenager girl, something that doesn’t appear to quite know what it wants to be…..

The OC Film Sting Final Verdict

You’ve seen it all before, but this is still an entertaining, if instantly forgettable, Friday night special. Rating: 6/10