‘Courtney Gets Possessed’ Review
Stars: Lauren Buglioli, Madison Hatfield, Jonathon Pawlowski, Najah Bradley, Zae Jordan, Aditi George, Steven Reddington | Written and Directed by Jono Mitchell, Madison Hatfield
With her nuptials on the line and the Prince of Darkness lurking close by, Courtney does her best to protect her childhood home on the eve of the wedding. But when her ne’er-do-well sister accidentally invites Satan inside (known more casually as Dave), he possesses Courtney – throwing a demonic wrench into her happily-ever-after plans. Courtney’s ragtag team of reluctant heroes including her sister, perfectionist best friend, and skeptical future sister-in-law must find a way to exorcise Dave, reclaim Courtney’s soul, and get her down the aisle with as little bloodshed as possible.
At first seeming like a parody of The Exorcist, including having the titular character Courtney (Lauren Buglioli) tied up in a bed and calling out the situation as a cliche, Courtney Gets Possessed is a brilliantly funny horror comedy that manages to mix both genres perfectly. There are just enough supernatural elements – possession, murder, the devil himself to offset the script that’s packed with laughs, And it is the comedy that makes the film: a real black humour that is made even better by the performances of the cast – a cast who all feel like they really know each other IRL, making this experience feel more like we’re actually watching a group of friends NOT a group of actors.
The standout performance though has to be co-writer and co-director Madison Hatfield as the titular Courtney’s sister Caitlin – Hatfield obviously has a handle on the script having written it, but she also has a real charisma that seeps out of her every pore right from the get-go. You know what kind of person Caitlin is, you know the relationship between her and Courtney, and that’s all down to Hatfield’s performance. That fact her character goes on the biggest journey, along with her sister is what makes the emotional core of the film work too – a core that ultimately anchors all the laughs and all the horror.
For there is horror here. Dave, the Devil, has no qualms about killing folk with the literal click of a finger – including a sadly off-screen exploding wedding organiser; and plenty of choking and neck-breakings! Speaking of Dave, I would have really liked to have seen more of Jonathon Pawlowski’s performance as Satan himself, but his character’s screen time is relegated to the opening and closing of the film as he spends most of his time possessing the rest of the cast! Pawlowski is another highly charismatic actor, whose performance reminded me very much of Dave Sheridan – a comedic actor who can flick a switch and go from funny to menacing in an instant, which Pawlowski does superbly in this film too.
All of which makes Courtney Gets Possessed a very late entry for one of the best films of 2023 and as such if you haven’t seen it yet, you need to make it a priority as you head into 2024.
***** 5/5
Courtney Gets Possessed is available on digital platforms now.
