“Devils Stay” Gives Familiar Scares

Devils Stay (Hyun Moon-seop, 2024) 2 out of 5 stars

The horror of exorcism has reached its ceiling in film. What can make this subgenre feel fresh again? Do these films need to do something absurd to draw in crowds, or is the search for innovation a lost cause? Hyun Moon-seop’s Devils Stay brandishes a great visual style—full of color—but the human drama and scares are repetitive bores that severely drag the film’s mere 95-minute runtime.

A renowned heart surgeon, played by Park Shin-yang, refuses to face the harsh reality that his young daughter died of cardiac arrest during an exorcism (an impressive opening reminiscent of William Friedkin’s The Exorcist). His wife, the medical examiners, and the lifeless body of his daughter, played by Lee Re, urge him to grieve this loss in the expected way along with everyone else. However, as the three-day funeral commences, the father and the young priest (Lee Min-ki) who failed to save his daughter’s life begin to witness strange and sinister changes to her body. An ancient evil looms over these two men on opposite sides of the spiritual persuasion.

For the horror storytellers who can maintain the momentum of their tales after vital information has been revealed, I salute you. Few filmmakers can do it well and whenever it happens, laurels must be given. Sadly, Devils Stay commits the cardinal sin of shoving all its exposition into a single scene, yet more questions than answers arise afterward. The film takes a big, human swing that attempts to address the demon phenomenon, but this choice caused my eyes to roll instead of invoking a cold sweat. A great ghost story, exorcist and demon tales included, allows mystery to exist within itself. The horror of these movies derives from the fact that the human characters cannot comprehend the supernatural misery that is inflicted on them.

As a long-time fan of exorcist movies and the idea of utilizing a higher power to defeat incomprehensible evil, I’m not ready to completely give up on this subgenre quite yet. I don’t think we’re at the point where “Exorcist in Space” looks like an appealing pitch. Still, filmmakers need to start taking bolder and more daring risks before Hollywood puts these flicks out to pasture.

Patrick Howard

Patrick Howard has been a cinephile since age seven. Alongside 10 years of experience in film analysis and criticism, he is a staunch supporter of all art forms and believes their influence and legacy over human culture is vital. Mr. Howard takes the time to write his own narrative stories when he can.