The Exorcism of Karen Walker [DVD]

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The exorcism is a terrifying ordeal, and it becomes clear that the demon possessing Karen is incredibly powerful. As the exorcism progresses, the demon becomes more and more violent, and it becomes uncertain whether Karen will survive.

So yeah, this is an entertaining version of the standard exorcism movie - detecting demonic possession via aura photography. Cool idea! The film… Mercifully short, but still felt like a huge waste of time. I watched this new addition to UK Netflix recently and could not recommend it less. The Exorcism Of Karen Walker is a tense and intense horror movie that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The performances by the cast are excellent, particularly Jeanine Nerissa Sothcott, who delivers a powerful and convincing performance as Karen. The film's direction and cinematography are also impressive, creating a dark and eerie atmosphere that perfectly suits the story.However, full marks to Hereford Films for taking the Blumhouse approach to horror. Tight, low budget chillers that put bums on seats and should hopefully make enough cash to generate sequels. Anything that pumps new blood into the British horror film industry is all right by me. Hopefully their next offering will be more stalk less talk.

Amidst such heavy hitting thesping the stand out, however, is Janine Nerissa Sothcott, briefly seen in last year’s The Krays – Dead Man Walking and here playing her first lead. An incredibly naturalistic performer with real star quality she more than holds her own with veterans Taylor and Lenska and gives the only warm performance in a very cold film. Definitely an actress to watch.Sothcott's published works include The Jermyn Street Shirt (The History Press, 2021) and The Cult Films of Christopher Lee (Eaton Books, 2000). Let's start with some positives. The story is actually pretty captivating and the acting is surprisingly good for an amateur production like this. But... it's so, sooo slow! I counted up the minutes and here is my breakdown: The Exorcism of Karen Walker is a 2018 British supernatural horror film written and directed by Steve Lawson ( Hellriser; KillerSaurus; Nocturnal Activity), based on a storyline by co-producer Jonathan Sothcott ( Eat Locals; Fanged Up; Strippers vs. Werewolves; et al).

It’s a nuts-and-bolts tale which basically consists of character A delivers vast chunks of exposition; character B listens. Then B talks for a while and A listens. It’s not wrong, but cinema is obviously a visual medium and more ’show’ less ’tell’ would have helped the film enormously. Anyway, Karen (Denise Moreno) is obviously possessed (thanks to the giveaway title), and with the aid of a special camera (which is like an Instax or Polaroid for Ghostbusters), we can see how freaky her aura is. I’m guessing London is doubling for the US as psychic Rula Lenska charges in dollars, though she might be just a very savvy businesswoman catering for international clients. The movie takes time setting up its story with lengthy scenes and word-perfect dialogue. Everything has a slightly drawn-out feel, and could have done with some snappier editing.Hereford Films CEO Jonathan Sothcott commented: “We are incredibly proud of Aura; it’s a terrific horror movie and we believe it will give us the momentum to become a major player in the genre.