18 Feb THE EXORCISM OF KAREN WALKER Review: “an essential purchase for anyone who loves horror movies”
by Melanie Jones | Editor
Once in a while a British horror movie comes along that makes you feel like the genre isn’t dead.
The likes of Werewolves of the Third Reich, Carnivore of London and the interminable Robert The Doll movies have made me all but lose faith in the country’s ability to turn out a classic again.
Thankfully The Exorcism of Karen Walker (terrible, cheap title which does the film no justice – in the US it was released as Aura, which is much better) really is a cut above the usual straight to DVD drivel and if quality is anything to go by it should be flying off the shelves in ASDA like hot cakes.
Brilliantly acted by Shane Taylor, Denise Moreno and captivating newcomer Janine Nerissa, the film also boasts a career best performance by national treasure Rula Lenska, making you wish she’d made more films in her varied career.
Taylor and Nerissa are not only entirely believable but incredibly likeable as the couple at the centre of devilish horrors unleashed by spooky camera equipment and this gives the film a real focal point.
Its also beautifully shot and composer Neil Chaney’s score adds pathos and production value, even when the script drags a bit (there are some really heavy dialogue scenes where you wish the editor had got the scissors in more).
In many ways the film has a retro feel to it: almost like one of the classic Amicus anthology films of the 1970s but there are enough jump scares to keep you on the edge of your seat.
REVIEW: 5/5
It isn’t often we say this but The Exorcism of Karen Walker is an essential purchase for anyone who loves horror movies.
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