To celebrate today’s release of the gripping new exorcism film, The Seventh Day, which “casts out” timeworn tropes to provide a unique and stirring take in such a crowded sub-genre, we also sat down with writer/director Justin P. Lange.
Switching things up more than most contemporary exorcism films by combining familiar formulae with buddy-cop trappings, Lange assembled a stellar cast headed up by Guy Pearce, Vadhir Derbez and Stephen Lang to introduce audiences to a renowned exorcist who is partnered up with a rookie priest to show him the ropes. As they try to stop the demonic possession of a young boy, the lines between good and evil blur and their own demons emerge.
With the film out now, SCREAM hopped onto a Zoom call with Lange who revealed that the demand for exorcisms has increased by 70% over the past decade and how certain aspects of the film mirror his own fears, anxieties and scepticism.
Words: Howard Gorman
