The Devil Inside

The Devil Inside
Directed by: William Brent Bell
Released on: January 6th, 2012
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 meatballs
Reviewed by: Neil Miller, Jr.

Wow. I never in a million years thought I could appreciate a documentary-style horror film as much as horror films of the 70s, 80s, and 90s. When I initially saw the trailer for The Devil Inside in the sequence of trailers prior to the latest Paranormal Activity film, I knew this would be one to keep an eye on. But at the same time, I also know that trailers are designed to shock and awe — otherwise, what else is there to make you want to see a film? I always go into a new movie with a purely skeptical mind. It takes a lot to win me over, especially if the film in question is of the horror genre. I can honestly say that from the time I sat down in the theater seat to the moment the credits rolled, I was 100% enthralled with the progression of this movie. What made this movie so tantalizing that I couldn’t even bring myself to look away for one minute?

The Devil Inside has a huge identity crisis, first off. Is it a documentary? Is it a clean-cut horror film? Is it a love letter to exorcism? At times, the filmmaking is so clear and well done that the viewer has no choice but to question him or herself about the validity of the “based on real events” angle. Not to mention that there are also a few qualms to be raised about the amount of English being spoken in this film, as it is supposed to be set in Rome. It's also a little disorienting to be taken from guerrilla documentary-style filmmaking to traditional Hollywood quality scenes. But it only takes an ability to fully immerse yourself in a film to be able to set these shortcomings aside. They’re not major, after all. One thing this film is, all bullshit aside, is a tried and true horror film. Ignore the allusions to real life events and take this in as a balls-out, no-holds-barred scarefest. You’ll thank yourself later for this after you’ve seen it.

Although there are many scenes in this film that are definitely worth mentioning, actually discussing them might spoil some of the suspense for any new viewers. The one that stood out the most, though, was the first meeting of Isabella Rossi and her deranged — and this point, supposedly possessed — mother, Maria Rossi. All we know up until this point is that Maria killed three people during an exorcism being performed at her house.  Isabella hasn’t seen her mother in several years and has had little contact with her, so when she steps into the room with her for the first time, the feeling of tension and fear is so thick that the audience has no choice but to feel it. I saw this film in a nearly packed house and the room went completely silent for this scene, lending another layer of horror to what we were witnessing. Chalk this up to savvy filmmaking, clever camera tricks, whatever you like — it accomplishes pulling us in, and it’s from this point that no one would utter a word or turn an eye away from the screen.

There may be some hype, both negative and positive, surrounding The Devil Inside. When it comes down to it, it’s up to the viewers to really ascertain how entertaining a movie really is. As I exited the theater after a cliffhanger ending that is sure to rile up critics and moviegoers alike, the reactions were mixed — but one thing is certain: the movie accomplished every film’s goal of getting its audience talking and thinking. Love or hate it, The Devil Inside should and hopefully will go down as one of the best horror films of this decade. This is one horror film that we’ll be waiting for a sequel to.