Theaters have been absolutely saturated with exorcism movies since The Exorcist claimed its place in horror flick history. It’s been 38 years and not much has changed throughout all of the incarnations. Just get some split pea soup, creepy deep voices, and a non-believer in a room together and BAM! Movie magic.Er, not quite. Something has been missing from these attempts, so as they've been rolled out they seem like the same exact thing with a few new tricks up their sleeve. Even trying to Blair Witch it up a bit by making them into documentary style footage couldn’t set them apart from each other. Scarier, maybe, but still not good.
In walks Anthony Hopkins in The Rite. Why hadn’t someone thought of this sooner? By taking a renowned actor that claimed the throne to creepy-nightmare-inducing-character-land a long, long time ago, director Mikael Håfström has created a devilishly enjoyable new movie.
The Rite is filmed beautifully and only enhanced by the fact that most of it takes place in Rome. While you can’t help but keep your eyes off the screen (especially some extremely attractive priests… seriously!), prepare to get the beelzebub scared out of you when you least expect it. Let’s not give the story away, since it is actually worth seeing and not spoiling.
All things you’ve known to be cheesy about an exorcism become okay, maybe because Hopkins is holding the reigns. The Rite will make you laugh at subtle jokes like "speak of the devil," but also have you covering your eyes when freaky things creep out from the shadows. By quickly commenting on everything overplayed in past films, The Rite has created a clean slate for this new interpretation.
Watch the trailer here:
The Rite is recommended for:
-Hannibal Lecter fans
-Those disappointed by the last hundred exorcism movies
Not recommended for:
-Those interested in joining the priesthood
-Anyone possessed by a demon (you will get exorcised)