El habitante [The Inhabitant] (2017)

(In French, On Cable TV, April 2021) Combining a “thieves break into a house and discover a terrible secret” premise with a “possessed exorcism” execution, El Habitante looks good and progresses well, which is just about what we can ask of a better horror film. The Mexican setting of the film does give it a more interesting flavour than most American exorcism films, even if its accessibility remains just as compelling. Most of writer-director Guillermo Amoedo’s twists and turns are not that surprising considering the kind of film this is (even the ending, meant to be shocking, stems from an early background broadcast that seasoned viewers will immediately latch on as significant), but the Catholic details are convincing and it’s all wild enough to be interesting even when it escapes credibility. But then again, this is a film about demonic possessions, so do we really care about credibility? While not all that good, El habitante is better than quite a few of the horror movies I’ve seen this week alone, so there’s that.