Review: The Devil Inside

Last year's APOLLO 18 is a strong contender for worst horror movie of 2011 and quite possibly worst movie period. Straight out of the gate this year we get THE DEVIL INSIDE and already it seems to be vying for that same title.

With the exception of a few strong performances from co-stars Simon Quarterman and Evan Helmuth, and even the possessed mother Suzan Crowley, THE DEVIL INSIDE boasts some of the most unrealistic docu-acting in recent memory. Even the lead Fernanda Andrade struggled to convince me that this stuff was actually happening to her.

The not-so-strong acting did not contribute any to the fact that this movie is not the thought-provoking commentary on science and faith that it pretends to be. Though these filmmakers take a shot or two at the Holy C and some of their questionable methods dealing with exorcisms, they never delve down past the point of somebody pointing out that: "The Church isn't going to like this..."

But perhaps the most unforgivable sin committed by this movie by these filmmakers is substituting actual scare tactics for sick, twisted deaths involving drowning a baby during an baptism and a guy shooting himself in the mouth with a policeman's handgun. These filmmakers attempt to scare the audience by disturbing them, which would work if there was a healthy balance of actual jumpy scares.

THE DEVIL INSIDE definitely earns its R-rating: it's bloody, grizzly, and demented. With that said, this movie will also undoubtedly earn a spot on my list of the most boring, most unscary, most unnecessary movies of 2012.