My Best Friend’s Exorcism Is Freaky But Familiar

High faculty may be hell even with none supernatural interference. But what occurs when an precise demon invades and threatens even essentially the most devoted of teenage alliances? My Best Friend’s Exorcism takes us by this unholy state of affairs, with an enthralling solid that nearly makes up for its overly acquainted story.

Abby (Elsie Fisher of Eighth Grade, Castle Rock, and Netflix’s grim Texas Chainsaw Massacre) and Gretchen (Amiah Miller of The Water Man and War for the Planet of the Apes) are such besties that they are saying “LYLAS” to one another, turning the teen-girl acronym for “love you like a sister” right into a verbalized time period of endearment. Life isn’t excellent—Gretchen’s household will quickly be shifting to a different state—however at the very least they’ve one another, together with the opposite members of their pal group: Margaret (Rachel Ogechi Kanu) and Glee (Over the Moon’s Cathy Ang), who’re equally close-knit. They all attend the identical Catholic faculty the place Abby, who occurs to be Jewish, is a scholarship pupil—two components that may very well be leaned upon to make her a misfit on this upscale, Jesus-praising milieu, however find yourself taking a again seat to My Best Friend’s Exorcism’s most urgent subject: Gretchen, excessive on acid throughout a slumber occasion that has already included an Ouija session, encounters a hungry demon whereas exploring an deserted home.

Gretchen’s possession manifests itself within the anticipated horror-movie methods (evening terrors, projectile vomiting, peeing in entrance of an viewers—Regan MacNeil can be proud!), but in addition in ways in which jab into the center of adolescent insecurities, as she morphs from candy and sympathetic to manipulative and shockingly merciless. Along with The Exorcist, bits of Heathers, Mean Girls, and Jennifer’s Body are all current within the narrative, which makes its teen-demon storyline (deployed each metaphorically and actually) really feel much more predictable.

It doesn’t assist that My Best Friend’s Exorcism is ready in 1988, which appears like a primary alternative to faucet into the period’s fondness for Satanic Panic (like Stranger Things’ most up-to-date season did) however as a substitute serves primarily to tell the soundtrack and Gretchen’s voluminous hairdo, in addition to give a motive for the absence of cell telephones and the web. At this level, should you’re going to lean on ‘80s nostalgia, you gotta bring something to the table besides Boy George crushes and frozen yogurt consumption and the movie almost does, suggesting that Abby and Gretchen are horror fans themselves, but it never explores that element beyond a few passing references in the script. It feels like another missed opportunity.

Most of the adult parents and teachers in My Best Friend’s Exorcism are both absent or unsupportive, apart from one quasi-authority determine that Abby turns to when she runs out of actually anybody else to ask for assist. He’s additionally the film’s most stunning character: Christian Lemon (Christopher Lowell of GLOW and How I Met Your Father), a Jesus-freak motivational speaker/efficiency bodybuilder (lookup movies of the evangelical Power Team for the real-life inspiration right here) who occurs to know a factor or two about demonic possession. “Don’t stress, it’s actually a lot more common than you think,” he matter-of-factly tells an incredulous Abby—and by extension the viewers, providing a sudden reminder that this film during which a teenage woman is tortured by a demon would additionally wish to be a comedy. The established tone doesn’t fairly help the change, as a lot as everybody making the film (and everybody watching it, too, as a result of horror comedies are superior. would possibly need it to.

Directed by Damon Thomas (Killing Eve, Penny Dreadful) from a script by Jenna Lamia (Good Girls, Awkward), itself tailored from the Grady Hendrix novel, My Best Friend’s Exorcism has a gifted solid; Fisher and Miller believably convey the fun and agonies that may erupt amid friendships between teen ladies. If solely the horror story that entangles their characters had been rather less formulaic, the tip outcome might have been far more memorable.

My Best Friend’s Exorcism hits Prime Video at present.

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