AllMovie

Interviews with prominent theologians, historians, and experts in the realm of the supernatural highlight this feature-length look into the ancient ritual used by the church in order to purge evil spirits from the bodies of the possessed. Over the centuries, exorcism has evolved from a simple rite to a political tool and, most recently, a controversial form of therapy. In this film, the formerly possessed relive their spiritual nightmares in vivid detail as dramatic reenactments reveal how professional exorcists use every means at their disposal to drive the demons from the suffering and save their immortal souls. Later, skeptical medical experts weigh in with reasons why what initially appears to be a supernatural phenomenon may in fact have a perfectly rational explanation. Could brain disorders or psychological factors be to blame for the producing the disturbing attributes and mannerisms that many religious scholars claim typical of demonic possession, or is the truth simply more frightening than we could ever comprehend.