The Devil Inside is another new entry in to the 'found footage' sub-genre of horror movies that has become very trendy thanks to the mega success of the Paranormal Activity franchise. Filled with creepy mumbling, bodies bending in ways that should be impossible, and shaky camera shots, this movie looks to find its place among this emerging...art form...or whatever we are going to call it.
The first thing that threw me off here is how this film is supposed to be actual documentary footage that is found and presented by somebody, yet is also billed to be INSPIRED by true events. Maybe its just me but I would think that what is supposed to be found documentary footage should actually BE those true events...right?
Anyway, this is the story of a mother and daughter who were separated after mom murdered three religious folks who were trying to perform an exorcism on her. Many years later the daughter Isabella (Fernanda Andrade) decides to travel to Italy to visit her mother Maria (Suzan Crowley) who was shipped overseas and kept under the care of a psychiatric facility that is loosely related to the Vatican.
The Vatican, of course, wants nothing to do with word getting out that there are actually people possessed by demons even though there is an exorcism class taught by the church. A pair of the class's students team up with Isabella to check out and document Maria to see if she really is possessed and to see if they can successfully perform the exorcism.
The acting in this movie is pretty bad across the board and the material everyone is given to work with is even worse. The story is about as straight forward as it gets and everything unfolds as expected and even when it doesn't, you're not as much shocked by the turn of events as you are disappointed because the predictable outcome would have actually been more entertaining.
I will say there are a few moments that have a chance at creeping folks out, but they are all killed off (so to speak) by a lack of build up or any sort of tension which is what makes these type of things work. You pretty much wander through lame conversations until presented with a possessed person and then watch them act weird for a few minutes until going back to more lame conversation...and that's about it.
I finally had a chance to watch this movie and agree with your review. It was disappointing, for sure.
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