Theology Thin As A Communion Wafer: Why ‘Speed Demon’ Is Horror Deconstruction Slop
(REVIEW) Exorcism movies are one of the only examples where religion has fully made the leap into Hollywood genre and tropes.
More than half of everything we expect exorcism movies to be, to subvert or parody, are just parts of the real Catholic faith. Whether it’s priests with collars, prayers in Latin, questions of faith and doubt or the existence of God and demons. We expect these things to be in the movie — even people who don’t believe in them do — because that’s what the genre is.
It’s also why movies like “Speed Demon” are possible. A low-budget movie, cheesy horror that is literally just “The Exorcist” meets “Speed” and whose theology is as thin as a communion wafer. In theory, this can be an opportunity for an actually really fun campy horror experience. Unfortunately, it’s far more interested in stale religious deconstruction than it is in classic scares.
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When Father Novak (played by William H. Macy) and Sister Lu (Katie Cassidy) board a train from Montreal to New York City, they aren't prepared for the dangers and evil that will pursue them. After the train is taken over by the demon Asmodeus, Father Novak and Sister Lu must battle possessed passengers on a runaway train — with the nun forced to overcome her faltering faith and perform the first exorcism by a woman.
“Speed Demon” has all the elements for a really fun genre mashup. Exorcism films have always relied on frightening imagery in claustrophobic environments. “Moving train” thrillers give horror claustrophobia high-speed movement that ups the intensity. Macy makes a great priest character, bringing warmth and lovability to an old, cranky mentor. (His delivery of “You’re not possessed, you’re an alcoholic” made that line easily one of the best moments in the film).
Unfortunately, the film fails at pretty much every level. Macy isn’t in enough of the movie to elevate much of the material. Most of the acting is aggravatingly bland — so much so that I would say it ruins the dialogue, except that the dialogue is too bad to ruin. Most of the time, it’s simply reciting cliches, but those cliches aren’t even strung together in a way that they fit.
It doesn’t help that the film keeps going back to acting like it’s a serious movie with a serious point to make. That point is that Catholics are sexist because they don’t let women do exorcisms (only priests who are men can). But it can’t make that serious point in a serious way. Most of the movie is spent with Sister Lu proving how she is more powerful than anyone because she has half-demon powers.
While the film acts like it’s subversive, it’s really just recycling early Christian deconstruction clichés. The tropes have a long history, from “Constantine” to “Preacher” to “Dogma” to “The Chosen One” to “Good Omens,” among others. These stories mix an assumption that Christian (particularly Catholic) metaphysical beliefs are basically true — God, heaven, hell, the devil are all real — but the church is bad and/or corrupt. As a result, it the role of a hard drinking, smoking, drugged-up hero who must rebel against both heaven and hell to save the world.
Hence, the alcoholic, promiscuous protagonist who has to learn to “believe in themselves” — not God — and defy the church to save the day with the help of a woman rather than a man. Which makes sense since “deconstruction” has gone from a primarily male-driven to a female-driven phenomenon.
Most of that would matter far less if the movie was fun or scary. After all, most people are not watching a B-horror movie for anything deep. The problem is, it’s not. The demons and their antics aren’t very frightening or creative. People get scars from invisible claws, glass shatters and get their voices distorted. Nothing you haven’t seen better a hundred times before.
This is sad because the culture is ready for movies that embrace “faith-based horror” more than ever before. Gen Z is embracing both horror (with films like “Obsession” and “Backrooms” drawing them in) and enthusiasm for religion. Both faith-based and horror films are getting big boosts. And because religion is starting to skew largely male when it comes to attendance, the opportunities for “faith-based horror” itself are on the rise. There is a chance to build on the genre for a new audience that reflects the experiences of an underrepresented part of the human experience: Traditional religious belief.
The exorcism genre shows the potential that faith has to be an integral and normal part of the American film landscape. Hopefully, filmmakers and studios figure out how to take advantage of that potential. If so, both faith and film will be better for it.
Joseph Holmes is an award-nominated filmmaker and culture critic living in New York. He is co-host of the podcast “The Overthinkers” and its companion website theoverthinkersjournal.world, where he discusses art, culture and faith with his fellow overthinkers. His other work and contact info can be found at josephholmesstudios.com.