The Shrine (2010)
A group of American journalists go to a village in Poland to search for a backpacker who has mysteriously gone missing. Upon arrival they find a place steeped in stories of strange cults and human sacrifice.
Second time around i still enjoyed this film. The film is undeniably derivative making me think of The Wicker Man and Hostel Part 2 among others with echoes of Bava's Mask of Satan thrown in. But this time i was struck at how much the film makers were influenced by The Exorcist. The statue in the woods looks similar to the one seen at the start of Friedkin's film and the clever finale of The Shrine pits what are basically exorcists against people possessed by demons.
After a slowish start which enables us to get to know the journalists the pace picks up with the discovery of a strange mist on the outskirts of the village, and within it a grotesque statue. These scenes are beautifully done and an eerie atmosphere at once bleeds from the screen.
The Shrine is classified 18 which had me mystified throughout until we arrived at the climax when all hell breaks loose and the bloody sfx come into their own. The creature design is thankfully all prosthetic and the devilish dudes look really effective.
Recommended.
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