In my opinion, an exorcism story can't be appropriately told unless it's tongue in cheek. The very concept is so outlandish that to try to play it off seriously, for scares, simply doesn't work unless there's some extra flavor to it. But orchestrated with a deft hand, it can be wonderfully entertaining - and I think 'The cleansing hour' might be the best exorcism film I've seen.
It's a delightful premise: That filmmakers fake exorcisms for a streaming channel to garner views on the web. Enter one very real demon to upend their merriment, and let the fun begin.
The small cast is a joy. Neil Grayston as Drew gives off the same air of put-upon intelligence as he gave Fargo in 'Eureka,' with some extra ego to go with it. Sam Jaeger boasts a considerable level of self-absorbed smarm as "Father" Lance, the celebrity exorcist who is suddenly in a bit over his head. And Heather Morris is great as the central character sharing her name, suddenly beset by a possessive extra-planar entity. True, anyone can throw themselves about, chew scenery, and call it a day, but it takes a measure of skill to truly sell the performance, and Morris does, to these eyes.
I really love 'The cleansing hour.' The short story Aaron Horwitz conceived is great, and Damien LeVeck demonstrates a keen eye as both director and editor. The makeup and visual effects are delicious, convincingly conveying the horror at the heart of the narrative. I would have been quite satisfied had the film ended with the shot in the exorcist studio, as all take a moment to realize what they just experienced - but the one step further that Horwitz's screenplay takes is simply splendid.
I tend to be a skeptic when it comes to full-length remakes of short films, and this is no different; I sit here now doubting that the 2019 film could match the punch of these 19 minutes, even if LeVeck and Horwitz are also involved. But I'll give it a try, some day. And in the meantime, 'The cleansing hour,' as a short film, is a brilliant little horror feature - a fantastic take on the exorcism trope that's well worth checking out.
