Nothing new in painfully slow 'The Rite'

Director: Mikael Hafstrom

Cast: Colin O’Donoghue, Anthony Hopkins, Alice Braga, Ciaran Hines

No turning heads, no green pea soup … but here comes another demonic possession film nonetheless. The question is: why?

'The Rite' brings nothing new to the genre and does it at a painfully slow pace and without a sense of horror or shock.

The film tries to inject a dark and sinister atmosphere but even then seems uninterested in developing it into something to give it an edge.

O’Donoghue plays Michael Kovak, a young priest who goes to Rome to study at an exorcism school where he meets Father Trevant (Hopkins), who during an exorcism on a young pregnant girl has to answer his mobile with the comment that he’s occupied with something important … it’s that sort of film.

Star Rating: 2/5