I definitely recommend seeing this movie. But only if you go into it with a very sober mind to discern its message, considering how serious its subject is. Hollywood is classifying this as horror, but it’s not. It is a modern retake of C.S. Lewis’ book Screwtape Letters.
I’ll give my own summary. A young atheist psychiatrist evaluates a serial killer on death row to determine if he is insane, and if so to determine a stay of execution. The killer reveals he is a demon possessing the inmate’s body. The majority of the movie is a dialogue between the skeptical doctor and the demon about whether or not it is a demon or rather an alternative personality due to multiple personality disorder. Throughout the discourse, certain acts and things are said to prove the demon is real, but the doctor’s ultimate conclusion is reserved for the end.
It is excellent acting on the part of the actor playing the serial killer. It is chilling to hear the demon’s intention for all humanity, how their goal is to damn as many souls as possible as an act of revenge against God before being finally confined to hell for all eternity.
We rarely go to the movies over the years, but Fr. Mitch Pacwa of EWTN radio, who I consider to be a very sober, sage like priest in the way he slowly and carefully gives advise, highly recommended seeing this film. Because it demonstrates the need for spiritual discernment of how evil can potentially have power over our lives, including the evil spirit, and how to overcome evil.
The devil knows each person since birth, and has a concrete, well developed plan how to damn each soul, with an intelligence and knowledge far superior to ourselves. Yet most either ignore or disbelieve his existence and presence in their lives.
We are dealing with a master manipulator more cunning than any human, who knows how to get us to despair and ultimately commit the kind of sins that separate us from God’s grace and will damn us if unrepented.
But if we stay close to Christ through a daily prayer schedule and frequent sacraments, we can avoid that despair and evil influence.
In the end, the film concludes with a message of hope and also sobriety over our mortal lives, and the need to work out our salvation daily.