The Exorcism of God: When Faith, Fear and Filmmaking Collide
The Exorcism of God (2022) became Mexico’s first horror film to depict possession and to focus on the most deadly of demons—guilt. Sin and redemption form the narrative basis of the film, but it extends beyond the tale of a possession. Filmed on location in Mexico, the film reflected the fragility of the human spirit. The cast and crew, in their own fights with darkness, courage, and sacrifices, embodied the themes of the film.
A Priest Haunted by Sin
The Exorcism of God centers on a character called Father Peter Williams (Will Beinbrink), who, in an act of faith as an American priest in Mexico, performs a horrific sin. During an exorcism in which Peter himself becomes possessed, he commits an act that, for all eternity, he will never be able to forgive himself. Years later, he will have to endure the brutal force of another demonic spirit while coming to terms with the demons of his past.
The story examines the moral and emotional depths not typically portrayed in exorcism films. Venezuelan director Alejandro Hidalgo—who was previously known for The House at the End of Time— did not fixate exclusively on the cheap thrills. Instead, he examined the disintegration of a person’s faith beneath the crushing weight of guilt. In Hidalgo’s words, “true horror isn’t the demon, it’s the moment you stop believing you deserve redemption.”
What occurred behind the camera was, in that regard, almost spooky.
The Battle Behind the Cross
The Exorcism of God was a nightmare, but not of the supernatural kind. For Hidalgo—who also co-wrote the film— The Exorcism of God was a nightmare on account of real-world complications. The first in a trilogy, The Exorcism of God marked Hidalgo’s step into the production stage with limited resources and immense vision. Filming in Mexico presented hurdles that were at times insurmountable, like the dreaded weather and restrictions on the old church properties that were used for filming.
Timing was one of the main challenges. Production of the film had begun in late 2019 right before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The crew had to face the first of many health-related shut-downs within months of the start of production. Issues related to health, shut-downs, and borders created chaos in the entire schedule. Cast members became trapped in different countries. The cost and profitability of the project began to spiral out of control and the budget was bleeding thousands of dollars every week as shipments of equipment were trapped in delayed shipments of equipment.
It was the first time Will Beinbrink, famous as the star of It: Chapter Two and Queen of the South, admitted the project made him emotionally exhausted. He made the comment in the context of producing a film about faith. “We were trying to make a film about faith during a time when the world was losing it. Every day on set felt like an exorcism of our own fears.”
In addition to the challenges of production, acting in the film took a psychological toll. The story’s underlying themes had to be lived in the performances — guilt, shame, and moral corruption. Will Beinbrink, who acts as Father Peter, described how he had to confront the self-doubt, and lack of faith in the world and people around him, as he lived, prayed, and worked. The pandemic created a sense of isolation around the crew and it made the character’s despair all the more consuming.
María Gabriela de Faría prepared herself for playing ‘Esperanza’, the compassionate yet tormented nun. Having de Faría recognized as more of a ‘bubbly’ presence in Latin television, the actress had to ‘unlearn’ her personality for the role. “It wasn’t just acting,” she explained. “It was like confronting the ugliest corners of my own beliefs.”
Some sequences, especially the ones that involved the physical exorcism of the possessed, had to be reshot more than once, whether due to technical reasons or a meltdown on the emotional side. The crew members would sometimes take breaks to allow the actors to emotionally rest. Hidalgo, the director, even had to explain to the audience that he was emotionally impacted by the performances, especially in scenes where a character was screaming or crying as if to exorcize another character. “I told them, don’t perform it — survive it,” he said.
A Film Born of Faith and Fatigue
In a country that has deeply held beliefs, especially religious ones, it was a tall order to film a picture on the ‘corruption’ of religion and ‘evil’ demons. Some scenes were considered highly blasphemous by local extras and crew members, and controversy followed. To quell the discontent, Hidalgo ‘blessed’ the set and wrote new scenes.
Paradoxically, those very tensions contributed to the film’s authenticity. The attempt to reconcile sacred representations with elements of horror created The Exorcism of God’s haunting duality. It seemed as if a struggle between heaven and hell was playing out both on the screen and behind it.
The working conditions were harsh. Numerous scenes were shot in abandoned, unventilated buildings. Actors had prosthetic makeup for for hours in the stifling heat. In one brutal exorcism scene, the actor had to take frequent breaks because his contact prosthetics were so irritating. “It wasn’t the demon that scared me — it was the idea of losing my sight,” Beinbrink joked afterwards. It was a joke, but the tiredness behind it was evident.
It is hard to miss the chilling parallels between the film’s plot and the journey of the crew. Like Father Peter, the filmmakers were also dealing with guilt and seeking redemption for their own doubts. The exorcism of the story represents a metaphor for the creative struggle that art can use to purge the spirit of despair.
To Hidalgo, this endeavor was especially meaningful. For many years professionally challenged and censored in Venezuela, he was determined to vindicate his vision as a filmmaker by finally creating The Exorcism of God in Mexico. However, the extensive delays and constant money issues in the production of the film led him to lose faith. “The film almost didn’t happen — but maybe that’s what made it worth it,” he said, reflecting on the hardships he encountered.
The Aftermath and Audience Shock.
Upon the film’s release, the response to The Exorcism of God was nearly as diverse as its audience. While its boldness in addressing underlying theological issues captivated audience members, the critics, focused on the film’s rawness. In Latin America and Europe, where the film’s moral dilemmas resonated strongly, audience members responded enthusiastically. . Long stretches of silence and candlelit scenes set the stage for a flickering horror that made the audience uneasy, especially scene in the film in which a priest lost control of his frayed sanity and confessional turned into a chamber of sin. For many, the scenes where horror and holiness blurred seamlessly in the film were the most memorable. They were, however, based on real exhaustion and the need to adapt to lighting failures and set malfunctions.
The devout exorcisms of God.
Even contrary to numerous horror films, the exorcism of god, is still a cinematic confession. It shows the impact of one’s personal storytelling, and the shadow that one must endure and live through, before trying to capture that story.
The cast of the film, lived through horror, rather than only acting. It is true that the staff did not only get a set ready. Alejandro hidalgo, did not only direct the film, he lived a exorcism of is own doubts. Faith is out of fatigue.
The film survives, and captures the true essence of horror. The blurring of illusion, and reality is what makes the film, the exorcism of god resonate with authenticity, rather than just being a film, and cast.
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