The Last Exorcism

The Last Exorcism

Company type	Film
Industry	Entertainment
Founded	2010
Founder	Daniel Stamm (director)
Products	Supernatural horror film

The Last Exorcism is a 2010 American found footage supernatural horror film helmed by director Daniel Stamm. The cast includes Patrick Fabian, Ashley Bell, Iris Bahr, Caleb Landry Jones, and Louis Herthum.

The narrative centers on a skeptical evangelical minister who, after years of conducting exorcisms, consents to take part in a documentary intended to reveal the deceit behind his practices. He responds to a farmer's urgent request for assistance with his daughter, who is believed to be possessed.

Made with a budget of $1.8 million, the movie achieved considerable commercial success, earning more than $70 million globally. It garnered favorable reviews from critics and spawned a follow-up film, The Last Exorcism Part II, which premiered on March 1, 2013.

Plot

Filmmakers Iris and Daniel capture the story of Cotton Marcus, a reverend based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who seeks to debunk the validity of exorcisms. Marcus, having lost his religious conviction following the birth of his disabled son, performs fabricated exorcisms on individuals convinced they are possessed. He accepts an appeal from Louis Sweetzer, a farmer who suspects his daughter Nell is under demonic influence.

Marcus asserts that Nell is possessed by Abalam, a demon that corrupts the innocent. After staging a sham exorcism, he persuades the family that the demon has been expelled, believing Nell’s symptoms were misinterpreted. Later that night, Nell arrives at Marcus’ motel room appearing unwell. At the hospital, she is found to be physically unharmed. Marcus visits Louis’s former pastor, Joseph Manley, who claims not to have seen Nell in three years. Louis brings Nell back home but restrains her with chains after she attacks her brother.

Marcus releases Nell; subsequently, the hospital informs him that she is pregnant. Nell exhibits violent behavior by killing a cat; meanwhile, Iris and Daniel discover unsettling artwork created by her that depicts Marcus and themselves in violent scenarios. Louis insists Nell remains a virgin impregnated by a demon and demands the crew leave immediately, implying he intends to kill her. The crew attempts to flee with Nell, who assaults Marcus. He proposes conducting another exorcism as Nell pleads with her father to end her life.

During this second exorcism, Nell manifests as "Abalam" and taunts Marcus provocatively. He challenges the demon’s understanding of sexual acts and concludes that Nell is mentally disturbed rather than possessed. Nell mourns losing her virginity to Logan, whom Louis disapproves of. The crew meets Logan, who reveals he is homosexual and had only briefly interacted with Nell at a party six months prior; this disproves Manley’s claim about not seeing Nell. Returning to the Sweetzer farmhouse, they find it abandoned and covered with occult and countercultural imagery.

In the forest nearby, they observe a fire surrounded by hooded cultists led by Manley. Louis is bound while hooded figures pray around an altar where Nell is restrained. She gives birth to a monstrous child that Manley throws into the flames, which grow more intense amid demonic sounds. Marcus regains his faith and rushes into the fire wielding his cross. Iris and Daniel flee; Iris is killed by an axe-wielding cultist, and Daniel is decapitated by Nell’s brother.

Release

Originally, the movie was planned to debut at the 2010 SXSW Film Festival. However, on February 12, 2010, Lionsgate secured the US distribution rights and subsequently pulled it from the festival lineup, scheduling its release for August 27, 2010.

Its first public screening took place at the LA Film Festival on June 24, 2010, where it was introduced by Eli Roth alongside director Daniel Stamm. Cast members Patrick Fabian, Ashley Bell, Louis Herthum, Caleb Landry Jones, Iris Bahr, and Tony Bentley attended the premiere. The film later served as the closing feature for the Film4 FrightFest Film Festival on August 30, 2010.

During the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con, Bloody Disgusting organized viewings of the film, including a second presentation on July 24 with narration by Eli Roth.

Poster controversy

In the United Kingdom, a promotional poster showing a young girl in a bloodied dress arched backward under a crucifix generated complaints for being "disturbing" and "offensive." Some viewers interpreted it as suggesting sexual abuse; however, this interpretation was not supported. The Advertising Standards Authority prohibited its display on public posters due to its broad audience reach but permitted its appearance on the back cover of Cineworld magazine.

Viral campaign

The Last Exorcism utilized Chatroulette as part of its viral marketing efforts by featuring a clip where a girl seemingly seductively unbuttons her shirt before revealing a monstrous transformation, ending with the film’s official website address.

Home media

The movie became available on DVD and Blu-ray starting January 4, 2011. The Blu-ray package includes both the DVD and a digital copy of the film.

Critical reception

The Last Exorcism garnered mostly positive feedback from critics, achieving a 71% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 161 reviews with an average score of 6.17/10. The critical consensus highlights that while it may not fully realize its Blair Witch-style concept, it delivers several intelligent moments of suspense. On Metacritic, it holds a score of 63 out of 100, signifying "generally favorable reviews." Additionally, it received a B− grade from Yahoo! Movies.

Jeannette Catsoulis of The New York Times rated the film four out of five stars, calling it "a notably restrained and genuinely unsettling small-scale movie situated at the crossroads of faith, folklore, and female adolescence." In contrast, Joe Neumaier from New York Daily News gave it one star out of five, criticizing its approach to generating scares.

Box office

Debuting at number two in the U.S. box office during the weekend of August 27, 2010—trailing behind Takers—The Last Exorcism earned $20.4 million across 2,874 theaters within its opening three days. Created with a production budget of $1.8 million, it maintained a position in the top five during its second weekend and eventually accumulated $41 million domestically along with $26.7 million internationally, totaling $67.7 million worldwide.

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Recipient	Result
2011	People's Choice Award	Favorite Horror Movie		Template:Nom
	Independent Spirit Award	Best First Feature	Daniel Stamm	Template:Nom
	Independent Spirit Award	Best Supporting Female	Ashley Bell	Template:Nom
	MTV Movie Award	Best Scared-As-Shit Performance	Ashley Bell	Template:Nom
	Empire Awards	Best Horror		Template:Won

Sequel

On August 23, 2011, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that a follow-up film was underway. By April 2012, the project’s complete title was disclosed as Beginning of the End: The Last Exorcism II. The film was directed by Ed Gass-Donnelly, with a script penned by Damien Chazelle (known for Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench). Ashley Bell returned to portray Nell once again. The definitive title, The Last Exorcism Part II, was officially announced alongside the release of the movie poster in January 2013. Additionally, Eli Roth served as a producer for the sequel.