The Good Exorcist (2018) 

An unusual priest arrives on a property where a demonic presence is causing problems and chaos. As he works through the situation, he is called to do an exorcism which may be more than he can handle. 

Written by Daniel Degnan and Josh Stifter and directed by the latter, The Good Exorcist was put together and filmed as part of Rebel Without a Crew. It’s a really low budget film that does not pretend to be expensive, but works within its limitations really well. The film takes this and makes the most of it actually. There is a lot here and the film is fun to watch. The writing is on point, the lead is a bit of a hipster priest but in a non-annoying way, he’s got a style very much of his own and it works. The directing takes the story and brings it to life in a way that is full of life and maybe a bit of non-sense which works great. 

The cast here knew what they were working with and understood the assignment. Their work is on point, giving the film performances that fit the characters and their circumstances. The lead, the priest, is played by writer Daniel Degnan, bringing his own closeness to the material into his performance and giving this character a full life, quirks and all, outside of being just a priest which is something that many films skip when building such characters. He’s a bit out there, he’s a bit much, but he works out for the best. Brittaney Ortiz is another stand out performance here as Maria. She seems a bit off at first and as things move along in the story, her character shows more and more, giving her more to do. Ortiz shows a good grasp on this character and on the type of material at hand, giving her performance and herself more substance here and giving the viewer a character to want to see succeed. 

In true indie spirit, the film’s cinematography and editing were done by writer/director Josh Stifter who also produced, did some of the visual effects and animation. Writer/lead actor Daniel Degnan also produced and did the stunts. Clearly, this is an independent production as well as a labor of love and it shows in the final results. The film is one that shows talent and love for the genre it’s within as well as a clear interest in making an entertaining film. Coming from a series like Rebel Without a Crew, this is something that is not entirely surprising. 

The Good Exorcist is a fun horror comedy that is done on a shoestring budget with love for filmmaking and for good films. The results speak for itself and is one that should be checked out by fans of indie films, of horror, and those who want to see what can be done with mostly talent and determination and a little bit of budget.