The Last Exorcist (2020) User Reviews

An odd little exorcism film...

[stsinger · 4/10 · 15 October 2020]

"The Last Exorcist" is the story of two sisters, Maddie and Josephine. They are orphans and have been brought up by a priest (Father Peter). When Father Peter dies, Jo is inconsolable whereas Maddie continues to drink and party. In flashbacks, we discover that their mother appears to have been possessed before she died. And now, Jo suspects that Maddie is now also possessed and enlists the assistance of one of Father Peter's friends, the former "Father" Marco, to help exorcise her...

This is a really odd film. The narrative flow is all over the place -- flashbacks and current time intermingle. But most unusual is the tone. It is as serious as a heart attack, and yet there will be episodes of such utter absurdity that it's almost jolting and you think "Wait, is this all really a joke?" We've got exorcisms where the exorcist just stands in front of the possessed and says, "I love you, please, please stop being possessed." We've got a priest stop in the middle of an exorcism and have a kung fu fight with... well, with someone, I'm not sure who or why. We've got parishioners jump to their feet and give a priest a standing ovation after a sermon. And more and more. And all of that along with parts of the film that are treated deadly seriously.

Not sure if the director had one vision in mind, and then was told she needed to shift. There are worse films out there, and it's always nice to see Rachele Brooke Smith and Danny Trejo in action. And I'm a sucker for possession films. But this is pretty low on the "exorcism/possession" scale, so be forewarned.

Can an exorcist do anything about boredom?...

[paul_haakonsen · 3/10 · 31 October 2020]

Sure, when I sat down to watch "The Last Exorcist", I sort of had a feeling at the back of the head telling me that this was going to just be another one of those a dime a dozen exorcist films that doesn't really deliver.

And guess what? It sure was...

Kind of is amazing that three writers - Robin Bain, Amy Brown Carver and Lizze Gordon - collectively failed to concoct something worthwhile. I mean, three minds should be way more creative than a single mind. But apparently not, because "The Last Exorcist" was just a boring movie, frankly speaking.

The storyline told in this movie wasn't really interesting, and there simply was just too little happening of any worth throughout the entire course of the movie. This resulted in the movie, as directed by Robin Bain, felt unfathomably long and slow paced. Yet, I still managed to endure the movie to the bitter end. Were I entertained? No! So why stick with the movie? Well, I kind of hoped that the movie would pick up its pacing and turn to a more interesting approach. That just never happened.

The acting in "The Last Exorcist" wasn't particularly outstanding. I mean, for the majority then people were doing adequate enough jobs, but there just weren't any performances that were memorable or outstanding.

Visually then "The Last Exorcist" was adequate. Sure, this wasn't a movie that was heavily relying on special effects, luckily enough. So whatever effects and make-up was used actually worked out well enough.

Sure, I will admit that I sat down to watch the movie because Danny Trejo was branded on the movie's cover/poster, yet he wasn't actually one of the main performers. But given the fact that his name was the only familiar name on the cast list, of course they put him on the cover.

My rating of "The Last Exorcist" is a mere three out of ten stars. This movie, while being semi-watchable, wasn't an entertaining or a fulfilling movie. There are far better exorcism movies out there.

Last Exorcist

[BandSAboutMovies · 4/10 · 14 October 2020]

Danny Trejo has a pretty solid gig these days. Show up for a few minutes in a direct to streaming movie, get the check and keep on being cool. He's a dependable name above the credits even if he's only in your movie for a little while.

Joan Campbell (Rachele Brooke Smith) must battle a demon from her past that has already destroyed her family and now has taken possession of the only relative she has left, her sister. She can be a priest in this alternate reality where the Catholic Church embraces women, so this movie has that going for it.



Writer and director Robin Bain has put together a film that hits all of the moments that you want from an exorcism film while also being smart enough to dress Trejo in holy vestments and put him up against the Left Hand Path. He and Joan are all that's left, because a suicide bomber has taken out every exorcist that the Catholic Church has trained, which is a tremendous blow to them, one imagines.

This isn't the best exorcism movie you'll ever see - Lord knows I've seen so many that I've made a Letterboxd list to catalog them all - or the worst. There are a bit too many flashbacks, but just enough Catholic songs to let me know that it's heart is in the right place.

How I lost an Hour of My Life

[kunju01 · 1/10 · 17 October 2020]

I don't know how to describe this monstrosity, barring the cameras everything else in this movie is utter disaster-The story, the script ,editing ,direction .I don't even know where to put this in a movie genre .A short film crew with a cell phone camera could make a better movie than this. No I'm not going to reveal any spoilers ,go and watch it yourself. Why should I suffer alone.

Worse than bad

[ferdmalenfant · 1/10 · 14 October 2020]

Not one person in this movie can call themselves actors.. Truly one of the worse movies I ever saw. Everything was way below standards for film making. Laughable, and not in a ha ha way.

what did i just watch??

[Nicholas_HY · 2/10 · 26 October 2020]

This is the definition of horrible. The plot doesn't make any sense at all. Terrorists targeting exorcists? Female Catholic pastors? Some religious Catholics might find this content offensive and insulting. The climax? Disappointing.

How much time do you have to kill?

[venuslocal-27633 · 3/10 · 27 October 2020]

Just google "Rachele Brooke Smith" and look at some pics to save time.

The eye candy that is Rachele Brooke Smith is the only redeeming quality that this movie has. The acting and "special effects" are ... horrendous. The storyline is mediocre at best.

3/10 is all Rachele could manage to get this movie to, which gives a hint to how terrible it is.

One of the worst films I have ever seen

[mjsreg · 2/10 · 15 October 2020]

From the first to the last frame this is a travesty.

The style (if it can be called that) is like a terrible daytime TV movie, with about as much atmosphere.

The acting of the majority of the cast is AWFUL - which is surprising considering most of them have some good productions in their resume. Even Danny Trejo was awful.

The story and events within it are ridiculous in the extreme and totally unbelievable, even within the context of horror fiction.

I wasn't going to continue watching after the first ten minutes and thought it was so awful it was bound to get better - it didn't.

At least in some terrible films there is something to laugh at - but you won't even get the pleasure of that. Best advice is just don't bother with this in the first place.

Only men can perform an exorcism

[nogodnomasters · 2/10 · 28 October 2020]

The film opens with a monologue by Father Peter (Dennis LaValle ) on mental illness or possession? Fortunately before I kill myself, he is blown up. The film then centers on Josephine Sabina McManus (Rachele Brooke Smith) who was raised and trained by Father Peter in exorcism. When her sister Maddie (Terri Ivens ) becomes possessed. . .

Very boring move. It attempts to be a religious film with sex, swearing, and nudity. If this is the best Trejo can do, he needs to retire.

So That Where I Go, You May Also Be.....

[wandernn1-81-683274 · 2/10 · 2 February 2021]

Obviously nothing gives a movie more clout than having Trejo in it. I mean come on, HEAT would have been a failure except Trejo was in it.

And boy this one. I really loved the Good Ol Boy band in the bar. But other than that, this one really stunk up the room. Horrifyingly bad. Even Trejo couldn't eek out an extra star for this one. 2/10

So much fun. Muah xo

[gigifoo · 10/10 · 16 October 2020]

OMFG! I'm giving this movie 10 stars alone just for Terri Ivens legendary performance as "Maddie", "the town drunk and resident possessed "floozy". Lord knows we've all been there gurl. So much fun. I'm a fan of the director's first little film too. MUAH xo

Under expect and be entertained!

[payupyou · 6/10 · 14 October 2020]

There are more movies in the horror genre released than any other genre when it comes to "feature films". So I say this - don't be over-critical, just be glad for these indie releases. The film is entertaining and has all the markings of a B film. Could it be better? Probably not - it is what it is - B horror and done well. If you want a multi bazillion dollar horror movie then you'll have to just wait it out. Heck, Conjuring 3 got pushed back a year and so have many other highly anticipated films. This is what we're all up against due to all of the true horrors of 2020. BUT, if you crave new film in our beloved horror genre, be grateful for releases like this. Not to say lower your standards, but maybe be willing to let films like this provide entertainment. I'm an old timer and have been a student of the genre for some 50+ years. Ya there is some pretty bad crap getting let out, but it's not all impossible to watch (except the ones that are!). This one ain't to bad, has it's flaws but overall fairly entertaining.

When it's so bad it's good.

[johnzappulla · 5/10 · 3 January 2022]

Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse Danny Trejo shows up and the evil voices start calling out for Machete......Machete...... And cue the epileptic fits that mysteriously resembles a fish out of water. Just flopping all over the boat.

Fire up the fog machine.... more fog juice please.

Just don't

[mykjohnson · 1/10 · 23 December 2020]

You'll never get the time wasted watching this movie back. You'll be sorry. It's the absolute worst! So... I can't wholeheartedly recommend this movie

Dont see it

[georfour · 1/10 · 19 February 2021]

Very bad film..One hour of nothing.Cant get at all what is all about..Gross

You know it's bad.......

[mjscostconsult · 1/10 · 27 August 2023]

You know it's bad when you get to the point that you can't be bothered to finish it. There are no spoilers in this review. I watch loads of "dodgy horror" and often battle through to the end and have even found some hidden gems. This was not one of them. So bad it's not good. It's just bad. Dreadful story. Annoying characters. Badly acted (but in fairness they can only work with the terrible script). I found myself willing the end to come after 20 minutes. Begging at 40 minutes. Pleading at 45 minutes. It's an 80 minute long film. I gave up at 50 minutes. Therefore that is why there are no spoilers in this review. Whoever timed it and managed to get to the end deserves a medal. There's not the option of giving it a zero.

Let Me Save You...

[tazkhan-23205 · 1/10 · 23 November 2023]

1 hour and 19 minutes of my life I will not get back (plus another 5 writing this - I don't normally do reviews, but this definitely need one).

So, of all the low budget trash on Prime, I chose to watch this - bad acting, bad direction, bad editing, bad "special" effects; just generally bad. Even Danny Trejo was bad - not that he could have done much with a bad script.... see the pattern?

Would have given it a zero if I could...

I don't know what possessed (pun intended) all those involved to make such a bad movie. Theres not much else to say, but I need to keep typing to make up my word count. Hope you all appreciate the heads up lol.

Unbelievably BAD!

[lovelyonyx719-943-600910 · 1/10 · 17 September 2023]

Actually, I'm speechless, but I have to think of "SOMETHING" to say. You know how you press forward on a movie just to see if you can find a scene worth watching? You know? M'Kay, that sums up The Last Exorcist. This is so rotten it almost hurt. The "acting" (dang that word left a bad taste is my mouth) is so bad. It's like "the people regurgitating their lines" practiced and memorized them a few hours before filming was to begin. The possessed girl and her annoying husky voice and laugh, was already an epic fail even before she played ring- around- the- roses with the devil. It's hard to even feel any sympathy for her. And her annoying syrupy sister is just as bad. Oh, and I like Danny (whatever his last name), but I'm convinced, he just needed to make a few extra bucks to pay the mortgage, that's all.

Pass this one up, folks! Don't waste your time! It's terrible...

Had the time of my life watching this film

[agsn_maxx · 10/10 · 12 June 2022]

It's so bad it's funny, me and my friends absolutely loved it. Laughing at how awful it was. The acting 10000/10. Never seen anything worse!!! But if you want a giggle at how terrible it is. Enjoy it.

Never laughed so much in one sitting, creepy men, weird CGI, and awful acting. Cringey as f.

Run-of-the-mill but still watchable exorcism effort

[kannibalcorpsegrinder · 7/10 · 22 October 2020]

Following a devastating terrorist attack, a woman who's living with her step-sister grows increasingly concerned she's becoming a victim of the same demonic entity that killed her mother, but when her sister is the one who's seemingly targeted she turns to an old family friend for help battling the demonic entity inside her/

Overall, this was a solid and enjoyable possession effort. One of the strongest elements here is a highly intriguing setup and storyline that sets everything in motion which has some fun plotlines. A clever idea of wiping out the priests trained in exorcisms through a terrorist attack not only is a startling entry point into this but offers a rather intriguing idea that tends to be explored here with the church now unable to truly deal with the concept. That the sisters are then targeted and seemingly tortured by demonic forces in a similar manner that grows nicely over the course of the film from this factor which pays off in the second half. From there, the film really picks up with the constant supernatural antics that are shown here. With the seizure in the bar that requires her removal from the premises, the flashback to their mothers' freakout as kids where she kills their father in front of them, or the numerous hallucinations they both suffer from showing the demonic beings getting more forceful in their attacks, this gets quite enjoyable as their antics and attacks are given a nice hint to her condition that would require an exorcism to be performed which sets up the fun and over-the-top antics in the final half which also offer a nice heartwarming touch to everything. These are what hold this one up as there are a few issues with this one. The main aspect within this one is the fact that the early build-up involving the growing realization of their predicament leaves this one a little slow-going. There's too much on display here showing the two and their relationship both with each other and their past history that is necessary for giving an idea of how they're going to change once they become possessed but is done in a wholly unsatisfying manner with a lethargic tempo that doesn't invite the viewer into it all that much. It comes off as way too slow for what should be done here which is a distressing feature since it's needed for later on. The other aspect that holds this one down is the usual and wholly expected elements that are expected to show up in such films like this and do so without fail. It's no surprise at all that the help of a fallen priest within the faith who regains his status following the ordeal is to come through here, and the trope of the exorcism itself is carried out in exactly the way you think would occur is how it happens. Regardless of their build-up, the somewhat fractured relationship between the sisters is a big part of the finale, and despite being a genre cliche just provides a routine and familiar feel here. These are the issues that hold this one back somewhat.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Language, Graphic Violence, Brief Nudity and a clothed sex scene.

Nifty horror movie

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 8 April 2022]

Jo Campbell (a solid and sympathetic performance by Rachel Brooke Smith) has to fight a demon from her past that has taken possession of her rowdy alcoholic sister Maddie (sharply played by Terri Ivens). Father Marco (a sturdy portrayal by Danny Trejo in a refreshing change-of-pace good guy role) helps out.

Director/co-writer Robin Bain relates the familiar, but still engrossing story at a steady pace, takes time to develop the characters, adroitly crafts a creepy and unsettling mood, and stages the exciting climatic exorcism with aplomb. Moreover, the love between the two estranged sister protagonists gives this picture some real depth and poignancy. A neat little flick.