Shadow of God begins like any other exorcism movie. After an opening involving two priests trying to save a possessed person, it becomes a winding tale that has a lot of differences from similar films, however. When a priest (Mark O’Brien, Ready or Not) conducts an unauthorized exorcism on his father, he discovers that he may be battling something much more holy – perhaps even the holiest of holies.
Writer Tim Cairo takes some big swings with his story. Most notably is the twist in which God may be the possessor. Demons are expected to lie about who they are and what their motivations may be. The difference here is that while Shadow of God will drop a line or two about how Father Mason Harper may not be truly battling the Almighty, by the end of the movie, there is more reason to believe that it actually was God instead of an evil entity.
It is an interesting idea that does not come off as well as it should. The actual reveal is surprisingly laid back. There is no dramatic tension or rising music. It just happens. There is a neat moment involving an upside down cross and towards the end an even better scene that can be best described as a dark exorcism, but it mostly feels underwhelming. Instead of saying “Oh my God!” the audience will find themselves asking, “Is that supposed to be God?”
Which is a shame since director Michael Peterson does some really interesting things. Mixing arthouse with psychedelia and just straight up gore, Shadow of God will keep anyone watching off kilter. This is also part of the problem. The film has too much going on. Some of it feels out of place, but it all makes for a fascinating watch.
Shadow of God premieres on Shudder April 11.
