Written by Melissa Allen, who you can follow on Twitter at @melissajournal
Since we are nearing Halloween, it felt only ‘Rite’ to put a film such as this as our Film of the Week!
Film of the Week on Female First
Anthony Hopkins (Thor, The Silence of the Lambs) gives a hauntingly-brilliant performance in a film that will cause you to wonder what is real and what is not. The Rite is based on Matt Baglio’s book, which itself is loosely-based on a true story about young Priest Gary Thomas, who witnessed the so-called evil events portrayed within the film. Colin O'Donoghue plays Michael Kovak, a seminary student sent to Rome to attend a Vatican School of Exorcism, since he is doubtful about the idea.
Michael becomes the apprentice of Father Lucas (Hopkins) after stating that possession is the work of a troubled mind and not actual demons – and as you might expect, he is unpleasantly surprised to find out that the Devil may indeed exist.
The beautiful simplicity of how this film is shot is what creates the horror and disbelief, despite the fact that it is based on real events. The realism of the storyline not only comes from what it is based off of; it also comes from the actors, the special effects and the idea that it is not only our minds that create horror, but that it can be created by other forces...
Michael’s character is a huge point of interest within the film, as his strange visions and hearing things that perhaps aren’t there become more and more disturbing. We may link this to his traumatic childhood experience of helping his father prepare his mother for her funeral after her death. His strong-headed character could split the audience into believers and non-believers.
We encounter sly horror in this film as Michael’s doubts about the idea of demons rubs off on us as the audience and therefore, we may expect less from this film in the way of scares. The notion of it being based on real events may also leave the audience suspecting that the film cannot offer much – you could not be more wrong as the themes within this film follow abuse, sex and of course, religion. These themes mix together throughout and truly knock the audience off their seats; while tropes such as jump-scares are absent within this particular film, the notion of everything that Michael disbelieved in become truer and truer every minute.
This film is packed with horror, realism and things you would not believe – it could be the perfect thing to watch on Halloween night!
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