Scott Derrickson's latest foray into "based on a true story" exorcism-land — he broke through with 2005's The Exorcism of Emily Rose — benefits from some creative setup (the demon arrives from the Middle East via Iraq vets who stumble upon an underground altar), some clever genre mashup (the film is as much police procedural as supernatural horror), and a good deal of earnest seriousness about possession, sin, and religion (whether or not that proves sobering or entertaining may depend on your own beliefs). Derrickson gets indulgent with the gore, but shows admirable restraint when it comes to supernatural hijinks. Nobody crawls up walls or unhinges his jaw here, but there's plenty of ordinary, horrific biting and clawing. Unfortunately, the story, dialogue, and characters have some trouble carrying all that spiritual weight; ponderousness ensues. Perhaps sensing this, Derrickson piles on the jump scares, and makes a couple of ill-advised attempts at fight sequences. With Eric Bana, Edgar Ramirez. (2014) — Matthew Lickona
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