Review: 'The Devil Inside' Loses Fire Quick

By Michael Lopez

You've got to give The Devil Inside’s filmmakers credit. They were quick to cash in on the reality-horror Paranormal Activity craze and scored a bundle at this weekend's box office. But did they actually craft a compelling movie? We say, not so much.

Shot in a similar documentary style as Paranormal, Devil focuses solely on the concepts of religion and demonic possession. It takes many cues from the classic film The Exorcist and definitely has a few cover-your-eyes moments up its sleeve.

But for those who crave gruesome horror, the gore is few and far between. Most of the movie is centered on the philosophy of exorcisms and one girl's journey to save her mother's soul.

Devil director William Brent Bell made a smart move by casting mostly unknowns in the lead roles. Newcomer Fernanda Andrade plays Isabella Rossi, the young 20-something desperately trying to uncover the roots of her mom's "mental illness."

It seems Isabella's madre (played convincingly by Suzan Crowley) went ballistic back in the late 1980's, viciously murdering three priests. The courts declared her insane, but it's clear to the audience that Mrs. Rossi was plagued by The Devil Inside.

Isabella soon befriends two priests who may be able to banish out the demon. But as expected, all hell breaks loose (literally) and soon the movie becomes a series of cheap scares via the home video cam. Truth be told, the climax is actually the worst part of the movie. Brent Bell did create an engaging build up, but the payoff is in major need of divine intervention.

Bottom line: We will give The Devil Inside credit for approaching movie-making from a different perspective. It tries hard to make you think you're watching a home movie and, for the most part, it succeeds. The only problem is, it quickly turns into one of those home movies you desperately want to erase.

Do you believe in demonic possession? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Horror Movies, Isabella Andrade, Movie Reviews, Movies & CineMás, Paranormal Activity, Religion, Suzan Crowley, The Devil Inside, The Exorcist, William Brent Bell