Released this last week on the major streaming service, Netflix, the film The Last Rite (2021) is disappointing when it comes to points in originality, however, it does provide an intense and thrilling experience when watching for new horror fans. For less advanced horror film audiences, The Last Rite is a perfect introduction into supernatural horror and possessions, while for more experienced audiences the film may be lacking depth and uniqueness. Unfortunately, while some supernatural horror films have original plot lines, many, including The Last Rite follow almost the exact plotline of previous horror films such as The Exorcist (1973). The film does not necessarily do anything wrong in terms of casting and story lines, however, it tends to be rather unoriginal throughout the majority of the film, leaving it predictable and less thrilling.
The film The Last Rite seems to offer nothing new or exciting to the exorcism subgenre within horror films. While it does offer some creepy and unsettling imagery and visuals throughout the film, it does not seem truly scary at all due to the predictability of the storyline. The film stars Bethan Waller as the main character, Lucy, however, the storyline cannot be redeemed with any acting skills. The film follows Lucy, a medical student who lives with her boyfriend, played by Johnny Flemming. Lucy begins seeing strange, dark figures and shadows around the couples’ house. However, when she informs her boyfriend Ben about the strange occurrences happening around the home, he completely brushes her off and actually blames her for the weird stuff happening. Of course, after too many strange and possibly dangerous occurrences keep happening around the home, Lucy decides to call a priest in hopes he may be able to help her. Soon after calling the priest, Lucy becomes completely overtaken by the dark entity lurking within the house. Will Lucy be saved from the darkness by the priest before it’s too late? Watch The Last Rite on Netflix to find out.