Since Memento and L.A. Confidential, Guy Pearce has been an actor whose name alone gets me to watch his film. That was certainly the case with the exorcism horror flick The Seventh Day. The Australian actor plays an unorthodox priest, Father Peter, whose exorcism expertise knows no bounds and on this particular day, he has a new recruit in the form of Father Daniel (Vadhir Derbez).
They patrol the New Orleans streets and suburbs seeking demons who have made playthings of humans who commit acts of murder, mayhem, and utter destruction, all under the guise of the Archbishop of the Crescent City, (Stephen Lang).
The crux of The Seventh Day revolves around a little boy Charlie Giroux (Brady Jenness). He has been arrested for the atrocious ax murder of his parents and his older sister. Father Peter believes that there is something much more sinister at work here that has taken over a normally innocent boy and led him to undertake the most unspeakable acts. It is quite a first case for Father Daniel and the question over whether he is ready for this endeavor hangs over the entire film like a thunder cloud. Talk about trial by fire.
Giroux has been arrested and sits in juvenile detention and once the priests are allowed an audience with the young man, it becomes immediately clear that this boy is not even remotely in control of his actions and that deep down inside him is trying valiantly to get it.
The Seventh Day works as a mystery, and not simply as an exorcism story. That helps immensely because there are twists and turns that one does not see coming. At its heart, the film is a lesson in an individual finding his purpose and all the insecurities that come along with that. The problem is that Derbez is rather flat at times and utterly electric at times. It tends to throw the overall power and resonance of the story as a whole. On the whole, he achieves what he sets out to do, but his experience in carrying films shows… but there is something there that has us thinking this is an actor to keep an eye on as his career progresses.
Pearce is his usual fierce self. From the moment he enters the picture, he commands. Perhaps Derbez’s issues have to do with his scene partner. It’s rather difficult to match note for note with an actor with Pearce’s pedigree and experience. There’s something about his Father Peter that is established on the film’s initial moments that haunts him throughout. The actor carries that on his shoulder like an anvil that is weighing him down and his progress—not only as an agent of the church but as a human being who is haunted by the tragedy of the past.
The Australian actor is sublime and fits his Father Peter effortlessly. But there is more beneath the surface that only a veteran thespian like Pearce brings to the effort. He knows the nuances that are required to have an audience follow him down this wormhole where for much of the film, one does not know what is up and down, right and wrong. All options are on the table. Pearce handles it beautifully and is yet another high-caliber performance from one of the great actors of our time.
Perhaps Derbez is playing his Father Daniel as a naïve newcomer to this world and that is why there is constant awe about his performance. When he digs in and commits, the power that is required is there, front and center. It’s just there are too many times where he feels flat and seems lost in the material while a pro like Pearce acts circles around him.
Now, exorcism movies are a dime a dozen since The Exorcist scared us out of our minds in the early 70s. The key to a successful exorcism film is the key players and the understory that runs through the landscape of the narrative. Are those who are being possessed endearing, do we hope for their sanity and soul that they defeat these demons and return back to a life that resembles normal. The answer to that issue in The Seventh Day is mostly yes. Pearce is electric and serves as a mentor to Father Daniel. His learning by fire is literally what he puts his charge through on this fateful day. One would think there won’t be tougher cases than the one they are on, so if this young priest has what it takes, the case of Charlie Giroux is in fact the most immaculate test of mettle that exists.
Now, with all that being said, this is not an exorcism film you have seen before. The fact that this boy, who is pleading with anyone who will listen to help him, elevates it to something different. Giroux is a talent to watch. As the possessed individual at the center of The Seventh Day, he is charged with much responsibility. He is tasked to play himself, a young boy who should be enjoying his days playing in parks and finding fun around every corner with his friends. Instead, he is literally going through hell. As such, the actor takes on many personas in his performance and they all come across seamlessly.
Writer-director Justin P. Lange (The Dark) has crafted a tout thriller that hits potholes on occasion, but for the most part, holds your attention and most importantly raises the fear factor as only the solid horror films out there can achieve. He too is someone to keep an eye on, with each successive feature he completes, look for his aptitude in storytelling to improve.
Grade: B-