{The Overlook Film Festival 2023} Godless: The Eastfield Exorcism

Godless: The Eastfield Exorcism gives us some insight into what every school board meeting will look like in the near future. Director Nick Kozakis gives us a vision of what a religious community can and will do when given absolute power over young female bodies. In short, using religious dogma as its guide a community of religious zealots rallies together in an attempt to rid Lara Levonde (played with doe-eyed brilliance by Georgia Eyers) of the demon possessing her. As things often due when it comes to these things, the plan goes perfectly. It distinctly does not.

While the world of horror has a number of high-profile exorcism movies (not the least of which would be the original). The Exorcism of Emily Rose, The Last Exorcism, and The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It are just a few of the more recent films that explore the questions surrounding supposed real cases of demonic possession. Godless: The Eastfield Exorcism offers its own unique take in a very crowded field. This movie however asks what if communities of faith are allowed carte blanche to deal with their “demon possessions” without the sticky hindrances of logic or science. As one might imagine, the ramifications are not good.

Our hero Lara and her husband Ron (Dan Ewing) are outstanding as a couple intent on starting a family but haunted by past trauma. Their chemistry perfectly captures a love that is duty-bound and that finds its passion wrapped up in the fervor of their faith. Lara seems to be getting sicker and sicker. Slipping into delusions that are both terrifying and harmful. As Lara’s condition worsens the tension comes directly from this duty and just how large a role it may play in the couples’ lives. When it becomes obvious that the leader of a local orthodox religious community will handle the exorcism the film leans into these questions of faith.

Tom Pocock who plays the leader of the church, Daniel James King is an absolute star in the making. Radiating a rockstar like charisma, charm, and confidence he feels more like a Harry Styles stand-in than a religious zealot. Godless: The Eastfield Exorcism shines when it makes the audience complicit in the ambiguity of what is going on. Is Lara really possessed? The horrific visions she experiences can often give us this impression but as Daniel’s exorcism continues the visions change and morph. As the visions grow darker our questions deepen. Maybe it isn’t a demon possessing Lara but perhaps these visions are warning her of Daniel and the community. 

The film’s ending is nothing short of brutal with a violence that is both shocking but also understated in its gore and blood. It happens quickly and sudden and maybe that is one of the themes of the movie. If you let these folks into your life the damage happens before you know it. The movie tends to have a very monochromatic color palette which works really well with its focus on orthodox communities. The golden hue makes everything seem golden but ephemeral. All credit to cinematographer Carl Allison for managing to capture scenes that use that color palette to make the church and the exorcism feel like the claustrophobic mess that it is. The film’s second act slows a bit and in these moments it feels more like a political thriller (ala Dark Water) than a straight-up horror flick. It certainly slows the film way down but adds a level of complexity we rarely get with movies like this. 

Exorcism is a sepia-tinted exploration of how damaging piety can be. It reminded me very much of Paul Tremblay’s A Head Full of Ghosts in the questions it asks and its confidence to leave many of them unanswered. While it isn’t found footage I found myself approaching the movie like a documentary. After all, I live in the state where Jesusland was shot. Maybe it borrows a bit from The Last Exorcism, another standout of the subgenre, but mostly Godless: The Eastfield Exorcism is more concerned with the human side of that evil as referenced in the ending crawl.

I caught Godless: The Eastfield Exorcism at The Overlook Film Festival. Another reason the festival has become a favorite of genre fans.