The Last Exorcism 2010

Christy Lemire, Associated Press: The Last Exorcism is one of the scariest movies to come along in a long time -- until the last five minutes or so, when it completely falls apart. Read more

Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: A modestly chilling, drawn out affair in which the characters and possible "scientific explanations" are more interesting than its predictable final destination. Read more

Glenn Kenny, MSN Movies: The only thing finally astonishing about The Last Exorcism is its goofiness. Read more

Joshua Rothkopf, Time Out: A smart horror film will fatten its pigs before the slaughter, and the mock doc The Last Exorcism feeds its prize hog nicely. Read more

Ted Fry, Seattle Times: Mostly good fun if only for the sentiment expressed by a colleague and shared by a big contingent of horror fans: "I'm always up for a nice exorcism movie." Read more

Keith Phipps, AV Club: While Daniel Stamm doesn't reinvent the form with the low-budget pseudo-doc The Last Exorcism, he exploits it well. Read more

Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: It's difficult to find an ending for horror movies. Often the getting there is the fun. That's especially true here. Read more

Jesse Singal, Boston Globe: It's like director Daniel Stamm and his crew realized they were treading awfully close to making a film with real depth and edge that horror audiences might hate, and they just couldn't pull the trigger. Read more

Noah Berlatsky, Chicago Reader: In its eagerness to deliver familiar genre pleasures, it somehow misplaces its soul. Read more

Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor: The latest entry in the pseudo-documentary horror film sweepstakes, The Last Exorcism has its terrifying moments and its silly ones. Read more

Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: It's about the dark side of piety -- the cultish wrath that can emerge out of the high and the mighty. At the center of it all, once again, is a teenage girl's gnashing wrath. Read more

Eric D. Snider, Film.com: A tense and generally understated chiller that might creep you right the hell out. Read more

Michael Rechtshaffen, Hollywood Reporter: Self-possessed performances elevate this creepy but half-cocked faux-doc. Read more

Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: The more hellish the story gets, the sillier and less involving the movie becomes. Read more

Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: That this comes via minimal special effects is admirable, but the movie also cheats a bit: Tinkly piano music is layered onto the spooky moments, which kills the faux-doc "realism. Read more

Kyle Smith, New York Post: The Last Exorcism is fueled by the arrogance of its smarmy outsider, the expert who knows everything except what an ass he is. Read more

Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times: An unusually restrained and genuinely eerie little movie perched at the intersection of faith, folklore and female puberty. Read more

Tirdad Derakhshani, Philadelphia Inquirer: The Last Exorcism pulls off its sweetly scary magic trick with great style and panache. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: The cast is effective, with everyone sliding believably into their roles. Read more

Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: It's not just the hand-held camera that will shake you up. The Last Exorcism gives you good reason to be very afraid of the dark. Read more

Andrew O'Hehir, Salon.com: The pseudo-documentary premise is paper-thin at the outset and wears out long before Botko and Gurland's script lurches toward the dumbest and least plausible solution to the mystery. Read more

Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle: This is the rare horror film that would have been entertaining even if nothing scary happened. Read more

Jennie Punter, Globe and Mail: A creepy, smartly written and very entertaining low-budget chiller. Read more

Mary F. Pols, TIME Magazine: A man very much of these times, Cotton is that rarity in the horror genre: a genuinely intriguing character. Read more

Tom Huddleston, Time Out: The credibility of faux-documentary filmmaking relies on clear plotting and convincing, semi-improvised acting. Read more

Claudia Puig, USA Today: Satan gets behind The Last Exorcism in a fiendishly clever plot that starts out creepily enthralling, then collapses in a heap. Read more

John Anderson, Variety: The Last Exorcism makes first-rate use of religious doubt and religious extremism to concoct a novel horror-thriller clever enough to seduce unbelievers while satisfying the bloodlust of its congregation/fanbase. Read more

Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice: With a small, well-chosen cast, sly script, and slippery, ambivalent characters, The Last Exorcism gives a welcome titty-twist to the demonic-possession movie revival. Read more

Sean O'Connell, Washington Post: Stamm creates an anxious psychological horror that's vaguely familiar yet refreshingly original. Read more