However, these moments are few and fleeting, and mostly exist as a result of simple backlighting. The POV strangely switches over from hand-held to steadicam inexplicably halfway through the film, with bits of documentary-style scenes scattered sporadically throughout, creating an uneven, choppy vision. Toying with the light, Neveldine establishes the illuminations as bright and pure contrasts to the evil that inhabits them, creating a sense of invasion and unwanted spirits. A demon has infiltrated her precious puritanical vessel, and despite the efforts of her concerned father and partner, it has claimed her soul as his own.Īlthough director Mark Neveldine manages to squeeze out momentary impressive aesthetics, his proudest moments mainly exist during the exorcism scenes, well into the third act of the film. At first, it seems that Angela may be suffering from a psychiatric condition of some kind, but suddenly, It starts to appear that the root of her illness lies not in her head, but deep within the barriers of her skin. However, it seems that fate has caught up with Angela, as an evil spirit finds its way inside of her, and rears its ugly head in the midst of all of her happiness. Add that to the fact that her loving boyfriend set up the surprise visit from her pops, and arranged all of the festivities in their entirety, and it looks like this might be her best birthday yet. However, with its stereotypical plot points and sped up, shallow character development, The Vatican Tapes plays more like a fanboy’s attempt at making an exorcism film, rather than the work of a veteran director who’s capable of so much more.Īngela is celebrating her birthday, and for the first time in as long as she can remember, her military-clad father is actually in attendance.
With an exorcism film that centers so heavily around the antichrist, it may have possessed some real potential for a different take on a popular sub genre. It’s a shame that with a cast that included such talented actors as Djimon Hounsou and Alex Pena that the overall impact of a film could be so lacking in presence, or even in entertainment, but such is the case with The Vatican Tapes.