Horror Review: The Seventh Day (2021)

What’s it About?

We need a young priest and an old priest! A seasoned exorcist, Father Peter (Guy Pierce), takes on a new recruit, Father Daniel (Vadhir Derbez), and teaches him how to spot evil and exorcise demons, as possessions are on the rise. The exorcists take on the case of a child, reminding Father Peter of his first exorcism, which failed leading to the death of his mentor and the child.

What did I think?

This movie was a lot better than I thought it would be. We watched it thinking it was going to be a B movie that we could laugh at, but found instead that it was a compelling story that kept our attention, and wasn’t funny at all.

Guy Pierce’s Father Peter was great. He was the seasoned exorcist veteran who’s been doing this for way too long. He used an accent that sounded more Boston than Baltimore. He has a great range of demeanor and really brought the character for life.

Vadhir Derbez played the young green Exorcist perfectly. Fresh out of the Exorcist training program offered by the Baltimore Catholic Diocese, he graduated at the top of his class. However, no book can replace hands-on experience when it comes to exorcising demons. Sure, he memorized all the prayers and has all the tools, but that doesn’t teach you how to handle the fear and the doubt. Only experience can do that. Derbez showed an amazing range of emotions and brought the character to life.

The atmosphere of the movie was sufficiently creepy. Between demonic distortions and the horror that is the catholic church in general, it had me on the edge of my seat. There are jump scares, but not a lot of them.

Do I recommend it?

Yes. If you’re into spooks and aren’t triggered by Catholic imagery and practices, definitely give it a watch. It’s on Netflix in the US. I give it a rating of 8/10,