Sunday 4 October 2015

Film Review - The Vatican Tapes




Worldly Possessions
Film: The Vatican Tapes
Cast: Olivia Taylor Dudley, Michael Pena
Directed by: Mark Neveldine
Duration: 1 hr 31 mins
Rating: * 1/ 2

There is this rather disturbing trend in horror films these days to pass of religious mumbo-jumbo as something that is actually valid and proven. Demonic possessions, satan trying to destroy everything is not something to be taken seriously in this day and age but that is exactly what many film makers are trying to push, inadvertently or otherwise. Using the ‘unknown’ to tell an entertaining story is one thing and passing it off as something to be taken seriously is a different ballgame all together.

Angela (Olivia Dudley) accidentally cuts herself on her birthday and the next thing you know she is possessed making you wonder about the demons desperation. Two well known faces play priests – One is Oscar nominee Djimon Housou who is at the Vatican who goes through footage of her possession like a security office would check a bank robbery. The second Michael Pena (for most parts he has the what-on-earth-am I-doing-in this- movie look) who plays the local priest.

The direction is so passé making you wonder if Mark Neveldine (Crank, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance) has ever seen a horror films in his life – or maybe he so too many of them hence the film is so derivative.  It ends with a prospect of a sequel for which I have already started saying my prayers. 

Forget exorcism, the devil will give up if he is forced to sit through such films. 



Published in The Navhind Times on 2nd Aug 2015



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