Souper Thriller

Rating: 7/10 (3 May 2009)

This horror film about a girl possessed by the devil became a box office blockbuster. The acting is pretty good and Friedkin creates a chilling atmosphere. However, the story is quite silly. It is not so much a horror film as an exercise in gross effects, with pea soup playing a prominent role. In fact, some of Blair's antics are more comical than scary. The expository scenes are not very interesting, and the prologue in Iraq, while well filmed, does not fit in with the rest of the film. The plot has some holes, and even if one accepts the premise of possession, there is no logic to someone turning her head 360 degrees without dying. It's simply cheap thrills.