Interview: Damien LeVeck (Director) of The Cleansing Hour, Shudder Influencer Exorcism Horror Film

Damien LeVeck, the director, co-writer, and producer of The Cleansing Hour joins for an insightful interview. The Cleansing Hour is a new Shudder original that follows an online exorcism show that gets more than they bargained for one night. We discuss the inspiration for this film, how Damien found his amazing cast, and some of the things he learned shooting this film in Romania! So give it a watch and make sure to check out the film, which is available on all major digital distributors. Review here. The Cleansing Hour stars Ryan Guzman, Kyle Gallner, and Alix Angelis. It was directed by Damien LeVeck. Max (Guzman) and Drew (Gallner) are millennial entrepreneurs who’ve made themselves famous with a webcast they created called “The Cleansing Hour,” which streams live exorcisms. The catch? Each ceremony is elaborately staged to look real in order to dupe their global audience—until today, when today’s subject, Drew’s fiancé Lane (Angelis), actually turns out to be possessed

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What to Watch This Weekend: Halloween Horror (Possessor, The Cleansing Hour, Blumhouse Movies, Do Not Reply), Once Upon a River, Charm City Kings, Ghostwriter, The Tax Collector

For Horror Fans Looking For A Change of Face - Possessor (Theaters)

Possessor will take control of you and not let go, as it pulls you into this violent, near future story with great acting, realistic effects, and a brutal story.  For more information, check out our review!

For Horror Fans Ridding Themselves of Inner Demons - The Cleansing Hour (Shudder)

The Cleansing Hour will possess your eyeballs with its entertaining social media exorcism premise, fantastic special effects, and spirited, spiritual performances.  For more information, check out our review!

For Horror Fans Looking for a Virtual Trip - Black Box (Amazon)

Black Box takes you on a technological deep dive with strong characters led by the amazing Mamoudou Athie, an intriguing story, and a mental mystery that will keep you guessing.  For more information, check out our review!

For Horror Fans Obsessed With Social Media - Do Not Reply (Digital)

The unsettlingly perfect sets, convincing acting, and brutal and tense scenarios make Do Not Reply one movie you should swipe right on.  For more information, check out our review!  

For Horror Fans Keeping a Secret - The Lie (Amazon)

The Lie is a suspenseful deception film with stellar acting, a simple setup, and a meaningful ending that elevates the entire experience.  For more information, check out our review!

For Adventure Seekers - Once Upon a River (Virtual Cinema)

Once Upon A River is a beautiful coming of age film with wonderful cinematography and sound, a nuanced strong female lead, and a story with great pace and flow.  For more information, check out our review!

For the Thrill Seekers - Charm City Kings (HBO Max)

Charm City Kings has a commitment to authenticity that should be applauded, as well as fantastic performances from an all black cast, telling a story that has humor, emotion, and important lessons.  For more information, check out our review!

For the Kids - Ghostwriter Season 2 (Apple TV+)

Ghostwriter Season 2 continues the story of this wonderfully diverse, entertaining, and educational show with adventures that literally make stories come alive.  For more information, check out our review!

For the Ruthless Family Members - The Tax Collector (Redbox and Digital)

The Tax Collector has some intense characters--headlined by a transofmred Shia LaBeouf--in this ruthless story about family and power.  For more information, check out our review!

The Cleansing Hour Review: An Entertaining Social Media Exorcism

Release date: October 8, 2020
Running time: 95 minutes
Starring Ryan Guzman, Kyle Gallner, Alix Angelis
Directed by Damien LeVeck

Max (Guzman) and Drew (Gallner) are millennial entrepreneurs who’ve made themselves famous with a webcast they created called “The Cleansing Hour,” which streams live exorcisms. The catch? Each ceremony is elaborately staged to look real in order to dupe their global audience—until today, when today’s subject, Drew’s fiancé Lane (Angelis), actually turns out to be possessed

I loved the premise of this film and the little touches it had.  The exorcism part was really well done and had great production values.  And the film starts you off with a high energy introduction to both the Cleansing Hour show and Max's dual personas: one of internet star and the other of social media fame chaser.  These little touches on the show and the characters really sell the greater whole.  The Cleansing Hour show feels like a fictionalized social media show, with plugs for merchandise and follows at every possible chance.  The movie itself has a great aesthetic and uses the font from the Diablo video game, which was a touch I greatly appreciated.  And the characters are far more complicated than their initial one dimensional portrayal lets on.  They all have some darker secrets to hide and come alive with the really entertaining acting.  Both Guzman and Gallner are great as friends who produce the show, and Guzman handles the role of charismatic pontiff perfectly.  But the real star of this movie is Angelis as the possessed fiancé!  I do not envy the amount of body contortions, guttural screams, and vast amounts of make up that must have been required for her to pull off a convincing possession.  And she does so wonderfully with some menacing looks, brutal moves, and convincing agony.   

But The Cleansing Hour also has more behind its social media inspired exterior.  The film has some interesting messages underneath its skin.  It touches on what is real and what is not in our highly produced, social media dependent society.  The shows have fantastic production values and a solid following, but are clearly designed to get subscriptions and share merchandise.  This seems to be something that is coming up more and more as social media takes over people's forms of entertainment.  And I definitely appreciated this film taking that to another level and looking at another avenue for internet fame.  But while the Cleansing Hour does so much right, it has a few missteps.  First and foremost is the CG, which looks ridiculous at times.  It is sad because the movie does such a great job with the make up and traditional effects, but the CG is just not up to par.  And sometimes it will mix and match to the detriment of all.  There is an amazing scene where something is emerging using traditional effects and it looks visceral and powerful.  But then the thing that emerges is all computer generated, breaking this sense of wonder.  And The Cleansing Hour also tries to bring in a larger overall narrative that makes for a grandiose ending, but one that seemed to veer slightly off course.  And there are some revelations in the story itself that are pivotal points but come off as slightly ridiculous.  However, the film still has plenty going for it to make this worth your while.

The Cleansing Hour will possess your eyeballs with its entertaining social media exorcism premise, fantastic special effects, and spirited, spiritual performances. 

Watch it.

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Scare Me is available to stream on Shudder starting October 8, 2020.