THE LAST EXORCISM PART II

BY CHRISTOPHER HASKELL
MARCH 13, 2013

Ashley Bell deserves all the credit. This incredible young actress, yet again, takes on the role of Nell Sweetzer, reprising her role from the previous film “The Last Exorcism.” In “Part II” of this hopefully two-part saga, Nell returns from the events on the farm, a tormented and reclusive young girl. She’s placed in a group home and attempts to return her life to normalcy. We can assume this won’t happen lightly, if at all.

Along with Bell’s impressive performance, including a vulnerability and naivety that could easily have been overdone, the scares help keep this film afloat, building tense moments with ease, starting from scene one in a stranger’s bed. Made even more creepy by being placed on the streets of New Orleans, not only does “The Last Exorcism Part II” delve further than I possibly could have imagined, it does so in a somewhat refreshing and unique way. Had the ending been more substantial and less throwaway, this could have been an above-average film. Instead, it rises from its preconceptions and gains at least some respectable stature.