It takes a lot for a horror movie to really piss me off and yet The Devil Inside does that in its short 83 minute running time. Never have I seen a horror film with such potential piss it all down the drain with one of the worst endings in the history of film. I can’t really call it a bad ending, because there really isn’t even an ending to begin with. The film coasts on bloody scares that are ripped off directly from other, better films, and yet it still sort of works, but then the screen goes black and you’re left with a partial film. It’s the biggest dick move ever by the studios and I doubt they care as long as they have your money.
Isabella Rossi (Fernanda Andrade) goes on a trip to Italy to learn more about exorcisms after her mother was locked up after allegedly killing three people during her own exorcism. She runs into two priests named Ben (Simon Quarterman) and David (Evan Helmuth) that practice unauthorized exorcisms. The more she and her cameraman films and watches these exorcisms the more she puts herself and everyone else in danger.
The Devil Inside is no stranger to the horror genre, especially the exorcism branch. What’s even funnier is that it’s not even discovering new grounds by being filmed in the found-footage style, since The Last Exorcism already did that a few years back. The Devil Inside does have one distinctive advantage and that is the R-rating that it managed to secure. That alone could make something that looks so tired and uninteresting an actual horror film, with proper amounts of blood and gore.
The problem with The Devil Inside doesn’t rest with its overdone story or acting, but with its ending. The film simply doesn’t have one. It cuts off during a mid-point where the characters are going to discover what is supposed to be the last act of the film. Something important happens and just when it starts to get good the screen cuts to black and tells you to visit some website for more information. It’s clearly a marketing ploy and it worked out pretty well for the film theatrically, but I don’t see a lot of people wanting to lineup for a second installment unless an actual ending is guaranteed in blood.
I can’t believe the filmmakers got away with such robbery. What makes matters worse is the actual film wasn’t all that bad until the cut. There isn’t much going on in the originality department, but the practical gore effects mixed with the timely jump scares are effective and they do manage to keep you on the edge of your seat, but none of that matters when the film comes halting to a dead silence.
Never in my years have I witnessed something that has done what The Devil Inside has done to such an extreme extent and for that I have no problems telling this movie to take a hike and erase itself from horror existence.
The film is presented as a handheld feature, which means that it doesn’t look the sharpest. Everything looks and feels like low-grade HD and that’s exactly what is present on this 1080p transfer. Colors aren’t horrible, but they’re never consistent, focused or strong. You’ll find an occasional spot of clarity, but it doesn’t stick around for the entire film. The transfer is as good as the source, which makes it a troublesome affair.
The 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track doesn’t suffer from the same fate. It’s loud and features plenty of bangs and booms to keep you wide awake, even during the slower parts. I like found-footage films when the audio is mixed properly and efficiently and The Devil Inside is one of those films.
The disc comes with absolutely no real special features. Only an UltraViolet Digital Copy code can be found in the box.
The Devil Inside is just another example of the studio grabbing an innocent and dumb audience by the balls and squeezing them for all they’re worth. It was shot on the cheap end and it made a killing during its opening weekend run, which is more than enough for a dozen sequels. The realization here is that the backlash was pretty strong and hopefully people stick by their initial reactions and don’t return when they release the most-probable sequel in a year or two, to help conclude the story.
I won’t be paying any more money towards a series without endings, but I’m sure a million other people will.
The Blu-Ray looks problematic, but sounds really good. The real knocker here is the lack of a single special feature. A digital copy at this stage in the game is a given, so I don’t really consider it a full-fledged special feature. Whatever you do please do not purchase this disc under any circumstances. I would still feel guilty suggesting it for a rental, even if it only costs a dollar. Just skip it altogether.
