★★★★ out of ★★★★★
🩸🩸 out of 🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸for raw intensity and domestic abuse, and a rough exorcism.
Directed by Nick Kozakis
This is a horror movie that examines exorcisms. Not from the horror of the demonic possession itself, but that of the zealotry and shoddy practices of non-sanctioned exorcisms as exercised by charismatic charlatans. It recognizes the fragility of those who are mentally ill and the unfortunate abuse that they receive. Instead of loving and caring for their loved ones, families instead seek help from the questionable practices of religious hucksters.
I balled my fists through large portions of this film, fully wrapped up in the execution. There is an exponential curve to the intensity of this film, though. It starts slowly at first, with Ron (Dan Ewing) attending his Pentecostal church service, trying to determine if they might be able to help out his wife, Lara (Georgia Eyers). Lara has been struggling with memory lapses. She takes to naked night dancing, and most alarmingly rants profanely and sees demons while in a fugue state.
Lara has also been seeing a psychologist, Dr. Walsh (Eliza Matengu) who has prescribed a regiment of pills that according to Lara, seem to be working, but the ordeal is taking much longer than Ron would like. Ron would like Dr. Walsh to close out her checklist for him to get a Vatican-trained exorcist. Walsh, in her medical wisdom, wishes Lara to stay with the prescribed medical course. That removes the Catholic exorcism from the options, which at least has recognized standards. Lara leans toward following this plan, but after a rough schizophrenic break, Ron is convinced that he needs to go back to Daniel (Tim Pocock), a man whom his pastor recommends as a non-sanctioned Pentecostal exorcist.
Daniel is a handsome, charismatic man convinced of his abilities as a conduit from God. His confidence inspires Ron that he is the man for the job. Ominously, Daniel tells Ron that Lara is not to be trusted in her current form, that she is a spawn of the Devil, and that she will lie and deceive with her every word. Daniel restrains Lara in the garage. He denies her food, comfort, cleaning, and water. Weaken the devil by deprivation, that’s the plan. Any sane person reviewing this plan would recognize that this is torture.
Lara struggles and pleads for Ron to stop the abusive treatment. Sadly, Ron heeds the exorcist’s instructions and allows the abuse to mount. More church members have arrived to assist in the ritual, and now the whole community is in on the deed. As the beatings and screaming escalate, it becomes clear that to escape from this ordeal, Lara is going to have to hope for an intervention. But the further the proceedings go, the less likely the rescue seems to be, as the peer pressure within the church bolsters the proceedings.
The Eastfield Exorcism is based upon a real botched Australian exorcism. In that Australian example, the violators managed to evade serious consequences while the victim perished. These rogue exorcisms often victimize women and children, powerless with no voice in their fates. As a result, this often precedes tragic consequences. Sadly, freedom of religion is often a crutch. Heinous acts are performed on the mentally ill or misunderstood members of society. Eyes turn blind due to faith.
This is also a dilemma of domestic abuse. In the case of Godless, the abuse is indirect and neglectful, as the active abuse is at the hands of the exorcist. However, Ron has turned a deliberate blind eye to the husband’s responsibility to preserve and protect his beloved. I commend Kazakis’ restraint in allowing the physically powerful Ewing to be a coward and a weak character. At many points in this film, the desire for Ron to come out and do the right thing arrives. It becomes a frustrating element (Though essential to the story.) Those wishing for immediate manly justice will be sadly disappointed. There are no heroes to the rescue. Even the agencies dedicated to protecting Lara failed.
For those who want to see levitation, spinning heads, or telekinetic projections, this is not that kind of exorcism. Instead, the scares in this movie are cautionary warnings. This could happen in your community. People struggle with mental illness and dealing with that takes patience and persistence. Though she sees demons, there are NO demons in play. The true terror comes from watching short-minded zealots switch their brains off and let this poor woman suffer horribly.
Godless: The Eastfield Exorcism had its world premiere at the Overlook Film Festival, and we had the opportunity to interview Kazakis and the cast. If you want to know more about this movie, You can listen to our interview HERE. This movie deserves a watch, and Kazakis, the writers (Alexander Angliss-Wilson, Sarah Baker, and Jason Buckley), the cast, and the crew deserve plaudits for hammering home the emotional resonance of this movie.
This movie is now available streaming on Tubi. Not surprisingly, it is rated TV-MA for profanity and intense abusive conditions.