Godless: The Eastfield Exorcism

Good movie!

Good movie!

Good movie!

Stumbling upon the 2023 movie "Godless: The Eastfield Exorcism" by random chance here in 2024, of course I opted to sit down and watch it, since it was a horror movie that I hadn't already seen. Plus, the fact that it was an exorcism movie of sorts just helped to sweeten the deal, really. Writer Alexander Angliss-Wilson and director Nick Kozakis had every opportunity to entertain and bedazzle me with this 2023 movie, as I had zero idea what I was in for, and thus also no expectations. However, I have to say that they only managed to muster what was a fairly generic and stereotypical exorcism movie. So yeah, you're not in for anything grand here. And if you enjoy movies about exorcisms, then "Godless: The Eastfield Exorcism" wasn't an outstanding movie. I wasn't familiar with a single actor or actress in the movie. And that is something that I definitely do enjoy when I sit down to watch something. And while the actors and actresses in "Godless: The Eastfield Exorcism" really didn't have much to work with in terms of script, character gallery and dialogue, then the performances were actually fair enough. For me, then "Godless: The Eastfield Exorcism" was a fairly bland and forgettable exorcism movie. And while I did manage to sit through all 91 minutes of it, I was only slightly entertained. This is hardly a movie that will grace my screen a second time. Nor is it a movie that I would recommend for horror fans to rush out and get to watch. My rating of "Godless: The Eastfield Exorcism" lands on a very generous three out of ten stars.

Honestly, I didn't have high expectations, or at least didn't know what to expect. There are a flust of movies about excorsisms out there, and I guess its fair to say that they are not all that good. This one was an Australian interpretation, inspirered by an actual event many years ago. My friend bought tickets and I saw it screened at a smaller, alternative cinema in Oslo during a movie festival. Anything can happen. I ended up being shooked, mortified and simply feeling sad in the end, due to the fact that this actually has happened - multiple times. This movie does not try to scare you with tons of paranormal scenes or stuff like that. The most scary part of all is how obsessed a Christian congregation is in its belief, no matter how dangerous it might be, and also how awful it must be for a person experiencing psychosis. Both those two things are indeed real, which makes it alot more scary than some high budget jump scene circus. That being said, I also think they mastered jump scenes absolutely excellent here. Scariest stuff I've seen in a long time. Also, many of the actors are people who have been raised in extremely religious environments and have experienced similar violence first hand. This makes the acting very authentic. At least to me, this movie got deep into my core. I saw it yesterday and I woke up thinking about one of the scenes tonight. If you see it, you will probably know which one.. and remember, this actually happened :(

source: Godless: The Eastfield Exorcism

I started this film with popcorn, waiting for the bibles and crosses to come out. I watched a plot that was all too familiar, a young woman exhibiting extremely odd and inconsistent behavior. I watched her loved ones - deeply Christian, but not Catholic - question the medical professionals that the woman was using for treatment. I watched her get steered into an exorcism. I watched the oddly confident exorcist come and prep for removing her demons. And then... I got suspicious. And then peeved. And then frustrated. I knew this story was based on something that had happened once in real life, so I paused the film and read the story. The further I got into the story, the more my frustration turned into fury. As the movie rolled on, the anger turned into wide gaping mouth open shock and then to deep, deep despair. I couldn't stop the tears. They kept falling until the end of the film. I feel raw as I write this. The film doesn't really suggest anything to the viewer that's fundamentally different from what the real life events did. It's really not much more than an account of a terrible, horrific event that spreads the word to the world about what can happen if... An advertisement. For what? Well, watch the film. This one is going to stay with me for quite awhile.

I went to the screening in Brisbane last night and I have to say it was an excellent film. Very well paced, acted and executed film. This is a film made for true crime lovers as it is based on true events which is what makes it truly horrifying. Exorcisms like this still happen today which is a theme that was expertly portrayed in the film. It is great to see gritty films like this that aren't afraid to tackle themes of religion, torture and consent. The cast were standout, with the exorcist cast in a refleshingly different way than films of this genre. If you aren't afraid of more dark subject matter you should go out and support this wonderful Australian film. We need more films like this made as the talent is too good to deny.

"Godless: The Eastfield Exorcism", directed by Nick Kozakis, is a superb horror film carried by multiple brilliant performances and filmic excellence. Georgia Eyers (Lara Levonde), Dan Ewing (Ron Levonde), and Tim Pocock (Daniel James King) all did stunning performances, and I'd say this grounded the film. The use of sound, cinematography, and editing carry the film also. Especially the works of Dmitri Golovko, who made one of the coolest film scores I've heard in a while. But the most impressive thing about it, in my opinion, is that it 100% carries the true and real-life events that inspire it. The story, based losely on the real life exorcism of Joan Vollmer, is told well. Vollmer, who was believed to be schizophrenic, was tortured and eventually killed by her husband, and neighbours after three ruthless and violent exorcisms. Also, even though this has nothing to do with it, the Kid is the best character, and his actor (Whoever he is) was awesome. Best acting I've seen in a film in a while.

A woman suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder- after having lost her baby- is subject to the whims of a group of extreme religious zealots, by her husband, in an attempt to cure her. The cult-like group ascribes to pretty much every far right conspiracy imaginable. And they specialize in exorcisms. What makes this film interesting, is that it doesn't start out with a particularly anti-science, nor anti-religion angle. Medical help was working for the afflicted woman, prior to being forced off her meds by her fundamentalist husband. However, once off...it does seem like she was actually possessed by demons. As she starts to manifest the cliche symptoms you'd expect to see in a case deemed to warrant an exorcism. Though, the exorcist they hire undertakes a specific brand of exorcism that is relatively extreme, to say the least. He deems her case one of infestation, as opposed to possession. Claiming there are multiple entities that have taken up residence in her psyche. So they feel they must resort to especially extreme tactics, in order to free her from her torment. Ultimately leading to the brutal twist, and conclusion, of the film. It differs from other exorcism films, like, for example, Exorcist: Believer, in that it lacks a supernatural element. But that doesn't make it any less creepy. Which is why I actually found myself enjoying this film more than I did Believer. Because of the air of realism it exudes. Which makes you confront the reality that it is not the afflicted who are "Godless". What makes it even more effective, is that this tale is based on a real case, from Melbourne, Australia, in 1993. Thus making it as much of a true crime film, as it is a horror. Which explains why it has such a made-for-tv feel to it. Despite decent performances from a majority of the actors (less the exorcist...who is a bit over the top). In the end...it's a cliche, but competent exorcist film. But nothing particularly great. And should be approached as a biopic, more than a pure horror. 5 out of 10.