Requiem review

Why you can trust 12DOVE Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about our reviews policy.

“You can’t X-ray what I’ve got,” screams Michaela (Sandra Huller), a devout Catholic woman in early ’70s Germany, who suffers seizures and experiences demonic visions. Diagnosed as an epileptic, the 21-year-old student flushes her medication down the sink, and believes her suffering is God’s way of testing her faith. But a young priest (Jens Harzer) decides that an exorcism is required...

Far superior to the recent possession flick The Exorcism Of Emily Rose, which was inspired by the same real-life case, this is a psychological rather than supernatural study of Michaela’s inner torment, and is particularly effective in conveying the emotionally stifling home environment of her religious parents. Grainy film stock and a dreary palette of browns and greys conjure an oppressive period atmosphere, while Huller’s screen debut is unnervingly intense.

The Total Film team are made up of the finest minds in all of film journalism. They are: Editor Jane Crowther, Deputy Editor Matt Maytum, Reviews Ed Matthew Leyland, News Editor Jordan Farley, and Online Editor Emily Murray. Expect exclusive news, reviews, features, and more from the team behind the smarter movie magazine.