Supposedly based on a true story, but the truth was a likely manufactured ploy to avoid paying rent and Child Protective Services. This film ignores most of the ‘true’ elements, down to changing characters and accounts in favor of a bombastic, yet absolutely derivative exorcism film. The first act is actually decently set up and paced with the cast, especially the child actors, giving quality performances. The initial buildup and dread is decent, but the film’s portrayal of the mother’s alcoholism and abuse is grotesque and borderline trauma porn. The film works very hard to make us sympathize with the mother, but she’s a repulsive, miasmic presence. and the far better horror story could have been told on this front, skewing closer to the truth. Unfortunately the back half film doubles down on supernatural visitations, which, like the claims that inspired it, is a rote sampler of exorcism tropes, but like with last year’s Exorcist: Believer, removing any catholic influence but doubling down on the sanctimony. What is worth watching here is Glenn Close’s performance. She’s utterly, hilariously amazing in her role, and delivers some laugh out loud moments, fully committed to the absolute best delivery of some of the worst dialog the year has to offer. But her performance is one of few highlights in a slog of a film, which culminates in a ludicrously over-the-top ‘come to Jesus’ moment that would have fit right in with one of the ‘God’s not Dead’ films. Even with the film’s insistence ‘demons did it’ one can’t help but to feel the most horrific aspect is the children were allowed to stay in this situation at all.