Director: Marcus Nispel (Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake)
Starring: Stephen Lang, Kevin Chapman, Kelly Blatz
Format: Netflix
Plot: During an all-night, drug-fueled party at an abandoned asylum known for the horrific treatment of its patients, a group of ordinary teens decide to experiment with the occult, mysteriously leading to a violent possession. In an effort to find help, the group rushes to escape, only to find themselves locked inside with no means of communication. Tempers flare, trusts are broken and in attempt to save one of their friends possessed by the demon, the amateurs try to perform an exorcism. Instead of solving the problem, and unbeknownst to them, they unleash an even more powerful and vengeful spirit, one with a distinct motive and which wants them all dead. The teen's only chance of survival is to uncover the asylum's deep mysteries and find a way out before it's too late.
After a career dedicated to music videos and big franchise remakes (Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Friday the 13th, Conan the Barbarian), Marcus Nispel offers his first original feature film with this decidedly-mediocre outing.
Yes, it involves possession, but it's not your usual possession movie. Instead Exeter comes off more as a live-action Scooby Doo adventure. Okay, there's no talking dog (unfortunately) but the group of teens are you basic Mystery Inc group - one of them is even a stoner who looks like Shaggy.
An abandoned asylum can be a great setting (Session 9), but it's wasted here as Nispel discards suspense in favour of big special effects moments. About the only thing he gets right is the gore, with a good amount of blood and guts strewn about. But the story is lame and the actors (mostly no names) look lost most of the time. It doesn't help that the main protagonists look way too much like Shia Lebouf and Lindsay Lohan, two actors I can't stand.
For 91 minutes the teens creep around the asylum, a possessed person goes nuts and makes things fly around, they creep around some more, rinse and repeat. Of course's there the required twist ending, which also falls flat.
Avoid.
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