Maryanne Bailey

The upside to this film: Russ didn't have to get fit for it. The downside: everything else. While Russell has a screen presence that is compelling, he is let down by a poor script, bad premise, very bad actors in all three family members and just a downright not scary movie. The boy who plays the possessed is particularly bad - his script must have read "Growl, swear, repeat...". Sorry Russ but you can do a lot better!...

It pains me to give a negative review as I had great hopes for this film. Although I like him, Brendan Fraser is out of his depth here - he flounders among a cast of incredibly unlikeable, hostile characters (I can't quite believe they gave Hong Chau another role after her appalling and abrasive role in Downsizing a few years ago). Some of the themes are thought provoking and I enjoyed the weaving of Moby Dick into the tale but it was clunky, unbelievable, oddly paced and all of the supporting cast are hateful and caustic. The scenes I'm reliving in my mind are of gorging and showering and it ain't a pretty sight...