The Devil Inside

Name: The Devil Inside
Genre: Thriller, Horror
Released: January 6, 2012
Duration: 87 min
Rating: 18

2012

METASCORE

Overwhelming dislike based on 19 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally unfavorable reviews based on 159 Ratings

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2.6

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2.6	User Score Generally unfavorable reviews based on 159 Ratings

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The Devil Inside

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Movie Details & Credits

Paramount Pictures | Release Date: January 6, 2012 | R

Summary: In 1989, emergency responders received a 9-1-1 call from Maria Rossi confessing that she had brutally killed three people. 20 years later, her daughter Isabella seeks to understand the truth about what happened that night. She travels to the Centrino Hospital for the Criminally Insane in Italy where her mother has been locked away toIn 1989, emergency responders received a 9-1-1 call from Maria Rossi confessing that she had brutally killed three people. 20 years later, her daughter Isabella seeks to understand the truth about what happened that night. She travels to the Centrino Hospital for the Criminally Insane in Italy where her mother has been locked away to determine if her mother is mentally ill or demonically possessed. When she recruits two young exorcists to cure her mom using unconventional methods combining both science and religion, they come face-to-face with pure evil in the form of four powerful demons possessing Maria. Many have been possessed by one; only one has been possessed by many. (Paramount Pictures)
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Director: Joaquin Perea

Genre(s): Thriller, Horror

Rating: R

Runtime: 87 min

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Critic Reviews

Clark Collis

Jan 6, 2012

While this religio-horror effort does contain some nice scares, and a memorably unnerving turn from Crowley, The Devil Inside's biggest shock arrives when it abruptly ends - just as it hits its stride. The result is a found-footage movie whose third act remains missing. Read full review

Joe Leydon

Jan 6, 2012

Despite the palpable air of deja vu that hangs over it like a light fog, The Devil Inside generates a fair amount of suspense during sizable swaths of its familiar but serviceable exorcism-centric scenario. Read full review

Matt Singer

Jan 6, 2012

Whatever possessed Bell & Co. to turn a slow-burning creepfest into a frenzied freak show of multiple exorcisms (including one in a moving car), the devil only knows. Read full review

David Edelstein

Jan 7, 2012

It has been a long time since I've heard people - many people - distinctly yell, "Boo!" Usually they just growl or moan or hiss. They don't bother actually to articulate the word "Boo!" I second their statement. The ending reeks. Read full review

Mark Jenkins

Jan 6, 2012

It's a pestilence of infectious claptrap. Read full review

Mark Olsen

Jan 6, 2012

The Devil Inside plays like a horror film conceived on graph paper. Read full review

Nathan Rabin

Jan 6, 2012

The hilariously convoluted thriller contains all the elements for a wacky parody of exorcism movies, except a sense of humor about itself: The Devil Inside never acknowledges its innate ridiculousness, so the laughs are unintentional. Read full review

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User Reviews

psychdoctor

Jan 6, 2012

Just Ignore the negative reviews. They are probably the same individuals that give Alvin and the Chipmunks 3 1/2 stars and give this movie a zero. I am a horror fan. I am generally not scared at movies these days. Movies like the typical Halloween slashing genre do nothing for me. MyJust Ignore the negative reviews. They are probably the same individuals that give Alvin and the Chipmunks 3 1/2 stars and give this movie a zero. I am a horror fan. I am generally not scared at movies these days. Movies like the typical Halloween slashing genre do nothing for me. My rating of The Devil Inside is based on similar genre of devil or exorcists movies. With the classic The Exorcists being the golden bar of devil movies, I have seen most every other exorcist related movies. I would put this movie (Devil Inside) at number 2 behind "the Exorcist." It is better than the Last Exorcism, much better than are the sequels (Prequels) to the Exorcist, better than Exorcisim of Emily Rose, and most recently The Rite. The movie stars slow and feeds the viewer in morsels until the awesome climax toward the end. The characters are likable with the exception of the camera guy. Good acting performance from all. There were several scenes that made me squirm in my seat. Many disturbing scenes. This is the type of movie where you will be glad to live with someone you trust and not alone. It is one of those movies that will stay with you. My guess is the negative reviews are from some people who are anti-Judeo Christian or anti-Catholicism. There is no way this movie is less than 7/10. I liked the ending as it was unexpected and different. This movie was better than expected and I recommend it be seen in the theatres. Go see it if you like this type of genre.… Expand

6 of 27 users found this helpful621

Ozy

Dec 16, 2014

I was simply flicking thru channels and came across this movie. I got real scared watching it - especially the mental hospital scene. I don't know how the movie was advertised and what people expected from it. I had no idea the movie existed until i watched it - i really had no issues with it.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

BIGREESE

Jan 7, 2012

Let me first start out by saying this movie isn't AWFUL. it is just very bad. One thing you should prepare yourself for is if you did watch the trailer, you have seen almost all the scary parts. This movie was actually surprisingly not scary. It seemed as if no care was taken to make sureLet me first start out by saying this movie isn't AWFUL. it is just very bad. One thing you should prepare yourself for is if you did watch the trailer, you have seen almost all the scary parts. This movie was actually surprisingly not scary. It seemed as if no care was taken to make sure the movie at was sucking the viewer in at anytime. instead this is what seems to be an extremely rushed and very predictable movie. Not predictable in the sense that you will know what will happen at the end when the movie starts. but as the movie unravels, you will be able to tell what is around a corner or what will happen in the next minutes of viewing. The apparent rush that the creators of this movie were in also produced a very "turn off the lights and walk out of the room" feeling ending. Just as the movie seems to be hitting a stride it ends. and at about 1 hour and 30 minutes more content could have been easily added to create the basically missing 3rd act of the movie. All in all its not the type of movie you will think to yourself while watching "what a waste of money" but after review you will see its half baked plot, characters, and scares.… Expand

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

FilipeNeto

May 3, 2020

Whenever I go to see a horror film I do it with caution. It is a genre that I like, I confess, but it has so much garbage that its really difficult to find a movie that is worthwhile. And when the film is shot using the "found footage" technique, I fear the worst. In this specific case, allWhenever I go to see a horror film I do it with caution. It is a genre that I like, I confess, but it has so much garbage that its really difficult to find a movie that is worthwhile. And when the film is shot using the "found footage" technique, I fear the worst. In this specific case, all of my fears were well founded.

The film, like many others before and after, focuses on Catholic exorcism and does so, like many other films, in a way that borders the absurd. Without wanting to pull out of gallons that I feel I neither possess nor deserve, let me clarify that I am a Catholic, I go to mass, I even know many priests, deacons and some bishops, so I have a good knowledge about the Church. So I can say that whoever has the minimum knowledge of Catholic rituals knows very well that everything this film shows is **** and worse, **** copied from the famous film "The Exorcist". Even some of the priests lines are identical! The difference is that "The Exorcist" pays off in other aspects, such as the quality and commitment of everyone involved, the intensity of the scenes, etc. It is a magnificent film and it gives us what this film cannot give: tension, suspense, fear.

What is Catholic exorcism? The film takes the subject but does not develop it. Allow me to clarify: exorcism is a sacramental that has to be authorized by a bishop and done by a properly qualified priest, but that is only used as a last resort and when there is medical and psychiatric support, that is, when medicine and psychiatry feel that they can no longer help. You cannot do an exorcism without permission or without the presence of able people, including a doctor, and in fact there is no filming. The film mentions this, and does it well, but then it puts priests in blatant disobedience. I do not know if it would be the case for an excommunication, as one of the characters says, but I am sure that these priests would have been immediately suspended and could even be forbidden from practising priestly duties. Therefore, everything we see in this film is an excuse for a carnival that the film calls exorcism. The story itself and the construction of the characters is highly deficient.

The cast doesn't help, but I don't blame the actors. The failure of the film comes, clearly, from a bad script and the bad material given to the cast. Suzan Crowley was the best actress here, with a convincing performance of madness that really works well. The Brazilian Fernanda Andrade can join the list of Brazilian actors who made the leap to the USA but was not particularly happy in this film. Simon Quarterman and Evan Helmuth were mediocre.

At a technical level, the film is globally bad. The best was the performance of the stunts, generally anonymous, who brought to life the contortionism and the most violent scenes. It takes elasticity to achieve those, and people who did it here deserve applause. For the rest, we can point out the bad cinematography, in the worst "found footage" style, that do not even know how to take advantage of the beauty of the city of Rome. The sets and costumes are monotonous and the soundtrack is not even worth mentioning.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

jstrickler872

Jan 7, 2012

Let's see...all you need to make this movie is a HD camera, a couple of girls who don't mind acting like they are possessed, and a 12 year old or younger script writer. Pretty much like a 500 dollar budget. Everything about this movie was bad. They spent too much time talking aboutLet's see...all you need to make this movie is a HD camera, a couple of girls who don't mind acting like they are possessed, and a 12 year old or younger script writer. Pretty much like a 500 dollar budget. Everything about this movie was bad. They spent too much time talking about exorcisms, without actually really getting into detail about them. Too boring for most of the movie. Then when stuff happens it's very mediocre. The dialogue is a joke. The ending is so stupid and rushed and leaves you at that point like all the PA movies. AVOID THIS MOVIE!!!! You may like PA and think this will be just as good.....IT'S NOT!!!!!!!!… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Broyax

Jan 11, 2017

C'est la mode et ça permet de tourner rapidement, à la manière des jeux indés à deux balles d'ailleurs : on fait comme s'il s'agissait d'un documentaire, entièrement au camescope, équipe réduite, acteurs en roue libre et mise en scène absente. Le résultat, on le connaît : ce n'est ni un bonC'est la mode et ça permet de tourner rapidement, à la manière des jeux indés à deux balles d'ailleurs : on fait comme s'il s'agissait d'un documentaire, entièrement au camescope, équipe réduite, acteurs en roue libre et mise en scène absente. Le résultat, on le connaît : ce n'est ni un bon documentaire ni un bon film puisque ce n'est ni l'un ni l'autre !

Bien entendu, dans le genre exorciste, on a vu beaucoup mieux ailleurs (ou beaucoup moins mauvais...) et à ce tarif, autant se taper Confessions Intimes, on se fera moins chier. Un bricolage d'amateurs court, à court d'idées et court sur pattes : à l'abattoir !… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

JTD

Jan 7, 2012

Worst movie I have ever seen. You could not pay me enough money to sit there and watch it again.

Take Paranormal Activity, get rid of all the suspense and jumpy parts, add in a little commentary to give it the documentary feel and you have this movie in a nutshell. This is my first reviewWorst movie I have ever seen. You could not pay me enough money to sit there and watch it again.

Take Paranormal Activity, get rid of all the suspense and jumpy parts, add in a little commentary to give it the documentary feel and you have this movie in a nutshell. This is my first review on anything, ever. That is how bad this movie was.… Expand

8 of 9 users found this helpful81

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