The film had a serious one-step-forward-two-steps-back way of storytelling. I realize this is a film about primary evil and all, but the possessed or influenced characters are so ham-fisted and over-the-top, that they come off both comical and plain irritating. The story eventually bottoms out along the terribly long 118 minute run-time, and there’s no going back. The film is much more graphic than I imagined, and that helps add a layer of teeth-gritting tension at times. The story is nothing new, but cinematographer, Scott Kevan, transforms the streets of New York into a possessed wasteland, using creative ways to present the manifestation of such extreme evil. McHale is a very engaging actor it’s too bad his charm is wasted. Butler quips when he’s supposed to, busts out his hand-t o-hand knife-fighting skills as needed, and generally sinks into one-dimensional purgatory with each new scene.

Unfortunately, McHale’s portrayal of Sarchie’s hard and irreverent partner, Butler, was so forced, so terribly cast, that it ruined the character for me. Paired with Bana is the awesome Joel McHale ( The Soup, Community), a guy I love more than I can explain. Relentlessly aggressive, Sarchie turns away from any distractions, including his wife (Olivia Munn) and daughter, and digs both feet into the case. Sarchie stumbles onto a series of crimes that trace a supernatural origin back to the caves of Iraq. I read no reviews before I went in, and I knew it would most likely be a mixed bag at best.Įric Bana is strong in the role of Ralph Sarchie, a New York Special Ops Detective, who’s chasing more than bad guys. Scott Dickerson’s ADHD style of filmmaking feels at home in the atmospheric universe he’s created on the streets of the Bronx. He joins forces with an unconventional priest, schooled in the rituals of exorcism, to combat the possessions that are terrorizing their city. NY police officer Ralph Sarchie investigates a series of crimes.

Father mendoza and ralph sarchie