Frankly this is trash. The "possessed" people clearly have mental health issues and/or epileptic seizures. Early on, we hear from a woman who was exorcised 4 times. Not only is her brother the lead interviewee, the formerly "possessed" woman is introduced as HIS sister. Like he is the 'lead act'. It's bizarrely misogynistic. The description given by both of them of her symptoms sound like seizures, although they exaggerate the symptoms at first: "slithering" on the floor shifts to "crawling" on the floor, until finally he sounds honest and says she was "writhing on the floor" (i.e. Seizing).
Then we are introduced to another woman. Who will be live filmed during her 9th exorcism. Yes, 9th. Worryingly, in her interview she wouldn't say if she has ever seen as psychiatrist as she has a "spiritual disease" and they can mimic physical ones. Sounds like brainwashing a vulnerable person to me. This is where this already bizarre "documentary" becomes openly manipulative. Her voice was digitally manipulated during the live exorcism. It's pretty obvious when you watch it, and subsequent investigation by journalists releasing the non-manipulated voice shows just how cheap and exploitative this "documentary" is.
William Friedkin comes across as credulous, swallowing any possession story given to him. But then, why did he have to manipulate the voice of the "possessed" woman in post-production? To give his audience what they expect it?
What makes this film so sick and exploitative is how clear it is that these women need medical and/or psychological help. They are being openly used, and told they have "spiritual diseases" that mimic physical ones, leaving them at the mercy of a man who has openly admitted needing to exorcise some people hundreds of times.
Then we are introduced to another woman. Who will be live filmed during her 9th exorcism. Yes, 9th. Worryingly, in her interview she wouldn't say if she has ever seen as psychiatrist as she has a "spiritual disease" and they can mimic physical ones. Sounds like brainwashing a vulnerable person to me. This is where this already bizarre "documentary" becomes openly manipulative. Her voice was digitally manipulated during the live exorcism. It's pretty obvious when you watch it, and subsequent investigation by journalists releasing the non-manipulated voice shows just how cheap and exploitative this "documentary" is.
William Friedkin comes across as credulous, swallowing any possession story given to him. But then, why did he have to manipulate the voice of the "possessed" woman in post-production? To give his audience what they expect it?
What makes this film so sick and exploitative is how clear it is that these women need medical and/or psychological help. They are being openly used, and told they have "spiritual diseases" that mimic physical ones, leaving them at the mercy of a man who has openly admitted needing to exorcise some people hundreds of times.