INNER DEMONS – The Review

Directed by Seth Grossman, written by Glenn Gers. With Lara Vosburgh, Morgan McClellan, Colleen McGrann

Lara Vosburgh, remember that name. If there is any justice in the world of media production, film, television, theater, what have you, Lara Vosburgh should have a bright and interesting career ahead of her. INNER DEMONS works overtime thanks to her talent which is nothing short of astonishing.

INNER DEMONS is presented as a faux documentary, in fact it is presented as a video work in progress, all raw footage shot with hand held cameras and caught on security video systems. Much like Blair Witch Project and the many shot on video films that came in its wake, INNER DEMONS uses the grounded in reality of shot on video to present an outrageous situation with a believability that is at times, yes, horrifying, and scary.

Carson Morris is a young girl with problems. A video crew has descended on her parent’s home to document an intervention on her behalf. Her Mother and Father address the camera directly to tell how much Carson has changed. Straight A student, raised in the church, knowledgeable about the Bible, a good girl in other words. Now they don’t even recognize their own daughter. Dressed in Goth makeup and clothes, Carson openly uses heroin, oxycodone and anything else she can get her hands on.

Carson’s parents have no idea how this change came about or why, they just want their daughter back and their pain at having a family member taken over by narcotic use is real and palpable. The video crew however has an interest only in exploiting the situation. They appear to be part of a reality show dealing only with substance interventions and then following the detox and therapy of the subject in an institution.

Jason (Morgan McClellan) is a young intern working with the video crew, he gets no respect from the people he is working with and takes more than a passing interest in Carson’s situation. Especially after finding books in Carson’s room dealing with demonic possession and Satan worship.

Carson tells Jason she uses narcotics to try and control a demon who is possessing her and will wreck havoc if she stops using. Is Carson mentally ill or…could it be possible? Well, this being a horror movie you can guess the rest.

Turns out a classmate who openly lies on camera about her relationship with Carson and her friends did something really awful to Carson as a joke. I don’t like to give out spoilers but the explanation comes at exactly the point where you wonder how the demon came to be in Carson’s life.

INNER DEMONS is a really nice piece of work. The shot on video aesthetic works in its favor. The writing is top notch, and all the actors are spot on. And in the critical part of Carson, as I said at the beginning, Lara Vosburgh is nothing short of astonishing. This young Israeli actress, who apparently has no other American credits on her resume, creates a serious amount of dread and is, yes, scary, using only voice, body language, facial expressions: acting talent in other words.

But at the same time we have a real sympathy for Carson and her situation, whatever her reasons for using narcotics. Her pain at being the new kid in school and an outsider is totally sincere and believable, making her descent into substance abuse and demonic possession all the more heart breaking.

INNER DEMONS starts with the very real horror of lives being destroyed by narcotics use and could have been an effective film staying on that theme. All of the characters in Carson’s group therapy scenes, for instance, are well written and acted, each and every one. I personally could have watched an entire movie dealing just with these people working through their issues and forget about the demon! But once the supernatural comes into play, as you can imagine, all manner of chaos and mayhem ensues and INNER DEMONS is riveting.

INNER DEMONS wisely, probably due to the shot on video concept, uses very limited amounts of make up or special effects. This is not a blood bath like so many recent horror movies but damned if this is not some scary shit!

At certain points there are some very effective jump out of your seat moments. In particular watch for a scene involving a mirror. You have been warned! No kidding, this movie had my hair standing on end and my skin crawling, several times. A perfect movie for Halloween in other words!

And, once again, a lot of the credit has to go to Lara Vosburgh. According to IMDB she starred in an Israeli television series and has done some stage work. This is apparently her debut in American media and she has every right to be proud. Hers is a fearless, strong, professional performance. Seriously, at certain points in INNER DEMONS her work is literally jaw dropping, WTF moments.

And remember, when her name becomes famous and she picks up her first Emmy or Oscar, you read it on We Are Movie Geeks first!

Now I have to go sip a little Holy Water and make sure I’m not possessed, and I am out of here!

INNER DEMONS opens in select theaters & VOD October 3