Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘The Banishing’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the motion picture, ‘The Banishing’.
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We are taught at a supremely young age, that evil is something that exists in this world and that we should be on the lookout for it as we grow older, so that we can recognize it and fight it at every turn. Which is a fine lesson for all of us to learn, one that we are eager to apply when we head out into the world. That is, until we find ourselves surprised by quite the twist. For we come to discover that evil is not as easy to spot as we were taught in our youth. For it doesn’t always make itself known. No instead, we come to learn that it is sneaky and deceiving and sometimes it exists on a moment’s notice when someone chooses to indulge in it out of the blue, and to make matters worse… we also come to learn that it is often hiding, inside positions of trust.
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Because those that indulge in evil and live by it, understand that being seen as someone good and wonderful, the kind that does lovely deeds and offers comfort, is the perfect cover to hide behind, so they can continue their misdeeds without an ounce of concern or accountability, and well… that creates a problem for the rest of us. In that, how does one fight evil when it assumes a trusted form? Because exposing its existence in a positive institution, could erode trust and faith in said institution and bring about chaos when it is dismantled and reassembled in a desperate attempt to restore what it once stood for. If anything, this is relevant to our discussion today, simply because Shudder is host to a new horror feature that explores that difficult question in a fascinating manner in The Banishing.

Now in this particular tale, we are transported back to 1930s England, while the nation is on the cusp of the Second World War. And while the entire country watches and waits to see if Great Britain will be drawn into conflict, a priest named Linus Forster and his wife Marianne and daughter Adelaide, are moving into their comfy new home to prepare for some important work. For Linus is replacing a priest that seemingly left his parish in spiritual disrepair, leaving it up to him and his family to restore faith in the church and grow the congregation. An act that shouldn’t take all that much effort. But as Linus gets to work on his mission from God, his wife begins to realize that there is something wrong with their new house and her suspicions are correct. For there is a dark and evil presence within its walls, one that is ready to claim all of their souls in a prompt manner and it will be up to Marianne and a town outcast to save this family from the horrific fate that the house has planned for them.

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So, at first glance, that is a plot that really feels akin to a standard ghost story. Since so many of them feature a home that is host to a hidden evil or a vengeful force that is awakened by new tenants and owners. But it doesn’t take long for this motion picture to establish the fact that it is going to offer up more than standard scares and cliché. For it has a a lot to say about evil and how it hides in plain sight and it accomplishes that feat, by offering up some fascinating commentary on organized religion. In fact, one could say this movie is anti-religion since it portrays it in a negative light and outright cites it as a great cause for the ills of man and well… it’s not wrong. Because history is rife with examples where the church has done great evil, because the men that are in charge of it… are filled with great evil and that’s definitely on display here. Since this story features a man of the cloth that is all about doing awful deeds and manipulating people to do his bidding, lest they face his wrath.

Which in turn, returns us to the question at hand… exactly then, how do we fight that kind of evil? Because that’s the kind of bad that can outright rot an institution from within and destroy it. But oddly enough, the movie does have some answers in regard to that. In that, really the only way to fight that particular brand of evil… is to separate the individual from the notion or the institution in question, and stand united against them and what they represent, so that people understand that they’re not watching something sacred be infected or destroyed by a concept or a force, but by a single man… one that chose to turn their back on what matters most. Which is a surprisingly uplifting message to find in a horror film, one that is quite frankly, incredibly bleak and incredibly unsettling, when you step away from the powerful and intricate commentary present within its framework.

For the ghost scenes and the torment that the spirits put Marianne and her daughter through are quite jarring and visceral, to the point where you are purposely left confused and out of sorts. Making those scenes akin to a living nightmare, one from which it seems there is no escape since so many of them appear as though they will never end, and well, all of these elements, and some stellar performances, blend together to create one quality horror feature. One that really does work to offer up more than simple jump scares, since it is filled to the brim with daring commentary and striking messages on how to finally deal with a problem that has plagued mankind for as long as we can remember. All of which makes this a worthwhile watch for certain, since you can never go wrong with a horror film that offers up solid scares and poignant commentary, the kind that stays with you... long after the terror has come to an end.

‘The Banishing’ is available to stream right now, exclusively on Shudder.

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