My Best Friend's Exorcism
Released: 2022.
Production: Gotham Group.
Directed By: Damon Thomas.
Written By: Jenna Lamia (wrote the screenplay) and Grady Hendrix (wrote the book)
Where to Watch: Amazon.
Genre: Horror Comedy
Rating: PG-13
The only thing worse that mean high school girls? Demon possessed mean high school girls. No, wait. Your high school best friend is possessed by a demon and is now a mean girl. Yeah. That's it. That's the worst.
Gretchen and Abby are inseparable. Whether they are tearing up the skating rink, catching a showing of E.T, snacking on some fro yo', or drooling over cute boys (or priests who work at their school, whatever), they are doing it together. When the weekend rolls around and there is nice weather they decide to go out to a lake with some friends. As one might do in the 1980s, they decide to take a little LCD before wandering into an old, abandon house. Then they have a super safe night, go home and come clean to their parents to establish some trust, and everything in their lives is fine. No, wait. The opposite of that. When Gretchen and Abby get separated something....happens to Gretchen. Abby must find her inner strength to save her best friend before the formerly sweet Gretchen kills all of their school or Abby herself!
Check out the trailer for this hilarious horror movie!
Created by: Grady Hendrix is a writer who has produced a few popular 70s/80s style horror novels (Grady Hendrix, Wikipedia). In addition to working in literature, Hendrix also co-wrote the script for the 2018 horror comedy, Satanic Panic (one of my personal faves) (Grady Hendrix, Wikipedia). Jenna Lamia, the screenplay writer, is probably one of the most impressive people in Hollywood right now. In addition. to being a blockbuster movie and off-Broadway actress, Lamia is a successful television, movie, and young adult writer! She's won several awards for her work as an audiobook actor as well (Jenna Lamia, Wikipedia)!
Grady Hendrix via Wikipedia
Jenna Lamia Via Wikipedia
Analysis: First off, It only feels right that I explain my authority in analyzing the genre of horror. I am a horror aficionado. Not only do I watch an inordinate amount of horror but I frequently write horror stories and screenplays, act in horror movies. I focused part of my undergrad on projects about the connections between body horror in the horror genre and feminism. I consume and produce and digest A LOT of horror. All this is to say when I tell you that My Best Friend's Exorcism is a great horror movie you can and should totally believe me. This movie hit all the marks for me:
Strong female characters? Check.
Deliciously dark humor? Check.
Slammin' Soundtrack? Check.
Horrifying effects? Check check.
A solid plot? Check.
Abby and Gretchen are unlikely heroes, but that sort of adds to their overall charm. These are smart characters who learn from their mistakes. A lot of horror movies will have you yelling at the screen with sentiments like "oh dear Lord, don't go in that room, Becky!!!!" or "turn around he's behind you!!!!". I like that this movie speeds right passed those tropes and delivers smart, strong female leads that the audience can root for.
There were a lot of moments throughout this film that I found laugh out loud funny. Mind you, I am quick to laugh--especially at the off-kilter situations presented in this movie--but I think the humor was a great way to cut the tension of the horror elements.
This movie is set in 1988 so there are a lot of classic hits in the soundtrack. 80s music is certainly different than what is playing on the radio nowadays but it can be a lot of fun.
Here is a modern spin on a 1988 classic by artist George Michael, remix by Louis La Roche.
I found the effects used in this production totally horrifying. Blanket trigger warning for just the worse types of things imaginable. I don't want to give it away, but it's well done. The quality of the effects speaks to the quality of the overall film. This Amazon original had some series production skill behind it. The camera work is phenomenal, the colors are nostalgic of the 80s without being overdone, the costuming is accurate but not cheesy. They really knocked the production out of the park. The biggest recognition should be given to the writers who created a timeless black comedy horror film that people of all ages, genders, backgrounds could enjoy.
Potential Issues: Anytime possession is featured in a piece of media there will be people who find it inappropriate, offensive, or potentially dangerous. Complaints about the film would have to be handled with respect to people's ideologies, as always.
In the Library: This would be a great movie for a Halloween movie night at the library. Participants would be encouraged to dress up in their best 80s wear! Books with similar themes or aesthetics could be displayed and made available for check out at the event.
Reason for Inclusion: Anytime possession is featured in a piece of media there will be people who find it inappropriate, offensive, or potentially dangerous. Complaints about the film would have to be handled with respect to people's ideologies, as always. In my experiences talking to young adults about the media they consume a lot of it revolves around true crime, horror, and mystery. Plus, with the popularity of programs like Stranger Things I think there is an obvious interest in the past and past aesthetics.
Sources:
Grady Hendrix. (n.d) Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grady_Hendrix
Jenna Lamia. (n.d). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jenna_Lamia
Louis La Roche. (2017, October 2). George Michael - Faith (Louis La Roche remix). Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3hYvsASv00
My best friend's exorcism. (n.d) IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7830806/?ref_=tt_mv_close
Prime Video, (2022, August 25). My best friend's exorcism - official trailer. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnXdofVyZTI
Comentários