Growing up in the church, I always heard about demons and the possessed. I heard things like a lot of things could be gateways to getting possessed. As I got older I heard stories of the possessed and heard things like “If you ever need an exorcism, the Catholics are the ones to call”. In my teens, I started seeing movies like The Exorcist, Stigmata, and other movies that dealt with the topic. I took an interest in it even to the point of considering becoming a priest to study it even more.

Well I never went that route, but I did go on to take a major interest in movies and horror. There is always the classic of The Exorcist and the possession of Regan MacNeil. Seeing Max von Sydow perform the rite to try and save a teenager possessed by a Middle Eastern deity called Pazuzu. I watched the Hollywood event telling of The Exorcism of Emily Rose that was based on real events from 1952. Later I saw Sir Anthony Hopkins portray a Priest that becomes possessed in The Rite. The genre of possession films became a personal favorite for me. Seeing people speaking in various tongues while becoming contortionists and being the center of creepy events always seemed to draw my attention.

That is, until we get to Agnes. This is a story about a nun that becomes possessed by an unknown demon. From previews, it appears to be what The Nun could have been. However, that was simply not the case. This had all the makings of a classic. Instead, everything from the possession portions of the movie were in the preview and only happen to make up the first almost half of the movie. So, if you’ve ever seen the preview, you saw the best of it. After that it goes on the path of following one of the nuns that leaves the convent and it loses all clarity. Is she the one that is possessed? Is she not? What point does this second half even serve, as there is really no real resolution to the events of the first half of the movie? More questions are left untouched than are answered. Agnes is supposed to be an exorcism film, but instead I found myself wanting to be possessed to pass the time through what proved to be an extremely underwhelming film.

The big issue isn’t that they switch characters and scenery. The crippling problems come from the complete lack of anything really happening after Mary leaves the convent and the lack of consequences of Agnes’ possession and subsequent exorcism attempts. The story revolving around Mary has no real coherence or even any relevance to the beginning. There really isn’t any clarity as to why Mary even leaves the convent. There is one interaction with the nuns she was formerly with that adds very little clarity and raises questions as to what happened to some of the people involved, but it’s a one off moment.

With everything Agnes appeared to be, it just never lived up to what it was made out to be by its marketing campaign. It turns into a cure for insomnia, if you watch it late at night. I really wanted to find something to like about it. The old ways of the nunnery could have been interesting to explore. That never happened and was just a brief mention. Past transgressions of a Priest involved in the attempted rights to free a tortured soul never get any more details. Out of everything this had to offer, the only interesting piece I found was some scenery and sets used in the beginning sequences.

Agnes turns out to be a real disappointment on almost every front. In a genre that has set its stories to be repetitive, this was a failure in what may have been an attempt to break tradition. I spent more time wanting and waiting for something to happen with no payoff. Unless you’re a masochist of some sort, I really can’t find anything to recommend about this film. Whether it was a let down from watching the trailers or simply a disappointing story, I honestly cannot find a redeeming quality to Agnes.

Rorschach Rating:

Mental Health Moment: At a point in Agnes, the story shifts to Mary and her new life outside of the convent. She faces a world on her own, different from what she came to know as a nun. She feels alone and looks to understand what the world has become around her. Loneliness is something that everyone goes through at some point. Whether it's the loss of a loved one, sudden drastic change, or moving to a new location, lots of things can contribute to the feeling. The key is to not get lost in it and lose yourself in it. Find ways to figure out your bearing and find a path out.

If you or someone you know is reading this right now and struggling with suicide, depression, addiction, or self-harm - please reach out. Comment, message, or tweet at us. Go to victimsandvillains.net/hope for more resources. Call the suicide lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Text "HELP" to 741-741. There is hope & you DO have so much value and worth!

Victims and Villains is written (and produced) by Josh "Captain Nostalgia" Burkey and others, and edited by Cam Smith. Music by Mallory Johnson and others. Agnes is property of QWGmire LLC. We do not own nor claim any rights.

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