Fantastic Fest 2021: "Agnes" Breaks The Habit Of Exorcism Flicks
Prolific Oklahoman writer/director Mickey Reece is back with another delightfully subversive genre flick that takes audiences for an unexpected ride. With Agnes, Reece and his longtime writing collaborator, John Selvidge, break the habit of standard genre norms to deliver a heartfelt and deeply hilarious dramedy with horror leanings. One thing is for sure, this ain’t your typical nun or exorcism flick.
Rumors of demonic possession at a religious convent prompts a church investigation into the strange goings-on among its nuns. A disaffected priest and his neophyte are confronted with temptation, bloodshed and a crisis of faith.
Agnes marks Reece’s most ambitious and bold film to date, which says a lot given that he’s made a staggering 28 feature films in a little over a decade. It features his most expansive and prestigious cast as well. In addition to Reece regulars Mary Buss, Ginger Gilmartin, and Ben Hall, Agnes also stars The Vast Of Night’s Jake Horowitz, The Craft’s Rachel True, Molly C. Quinn (Doctor Sleep), Hayley McFarland (The Conjuring), and Sean Gunn (amongst others). Bursting with excellent performances, terrific dialogue, and sumptuous visuals, this genre hybrid subverts expectations in true Mickey Reece fashion, delivering a devilishly funny send-up of exorcism films that ambitiously delves much deeper than you’d initially suspect.
The film closes out a thematic trilogy, which includes 2018’s Strike, Dear Mistress, and Cure His Heart and 2019’s Climate Of The Hunter, that centers around female characters and explores their psychology. Although its title insinuates that Sister Agnes (played by Hayley McFarland) will be the film’s central character, that’s really Agnes’ first subversion. She plays a small, yet pivotal role in the film. We only get a few scenes with her, yet her presence lingers over everything. She’s the catalyst to the film’s events, and she’s the gateway into the its sincere ruminations on faith.
Much like Climate Of The Hunter’s Wesley, who may or may not be a vampire, there’s ambiguity around Sister Agnes’ alleged possession. Could it be a devil or demon that’s gotten ahold of her, or could it be she’s just mentally unwell? This is a facet of what Reece and co-screenwriter John Selvidge explore in the film’s first section. As priests assemble to exorcise Agnes’ “demons,” they’re adamant that possession is nothing more than a psychological phenomena. However, when her blasphemous behavior isn’t so easily curbed, it leads to burgeoning doubt — and a more accomplished priest, the eccentric Father Black (played hilariously by Chris Browning), entering the nunnery to tackle the job.
Just when you think you know which direction Agnes is headed, the film takes a sharp left turn that veers in a different direction altogether. The sudden shift from exploitation/horror film to quiet drama is a refreshing gift that pulls the rug out from under its audience and leads them into unexpected terrain. After the change in tone occurs, it’s finally revealed that Sister Mary (Molly C. Quinn) is our protagonist. The disturbance created by Sister Agnes — whom Mary was very close to — shakes Mary of her faith and sends her fleeing from the convent to give secular life a try.
Instead of watching heads turn 360 degrees and spew split-pea soup, we watch Mary work a cashier job at a supermarket, get hit on by her misogynistic boss, and grapple with the aftermath of Sister Agnes’ episode, which itself leads to deeper revelations of Mary’s character. It’s a fascinating watch and a rare treat to have a film shatter all expectations and suddenly become wholly unpredictable. You never quite know where it’s headed, and if you’re anything like us, you’ll be pleasantly surprised with not only where it takes you, but how downright touching it becomes as well.
Each new film Reece makes finds him breaking new ground and improving his skills, and Agnes is no exception. The cinematography from Samuel Calvin (who’s been working with Reece since 2019’s Arrows Of Outrageous Fortune) is a step up from Climate (which itself was a very beautifully shot film). He gives everything a lovely heavenly glow and plays upon the film’s theme of lightness and darkness with the film’s lighting. The score from frequent Reece composer Nicholas Poss is also terrific and gives the film the right pulse. It even plays a part in the film’s vigorous humor, creating one of the funniest hallways shots we’ll likely get this year.
The performances are uniformly excellent. Ben Hall, Mary Buss, and Jake Horowitz dominate the film’s first half, with an excellent supporting performance from Chris Browning that furthers its side-splitting comedy, but it’s Molly C. Quinn who carries us across the finish line. She gives a quietly commanding performance and makes Mary’s crisis of faith feel completely resonate.
Our biggest gripe here is that the film’s left turn and key moments from the film’s second half are foreshadowed via jarring edits in the first section, which we felt were unnecessary. Perhaps they were incorporated to allow audiences to brace for the shift, but we wanted to feel the whiplash of a truly sudden jolt sans any hints. The film’s change in direction will likely be a make or break point for many viewers, but for the most part, we were with Agnes every step of the way. Overall, Agnes is another impressive and idiosyncratic piece of cinema from up-and-comer Mickey Reece, which we have no problem calling his best work to date. It’s sure to appease longtime fans and amass even more followers into the growing cult of Mickey Reece.
Recommendation: If you’re a fan of Reece or are looking for some reprieve from the same-ole-same, definitely give Agnes a day in court. The film has been picked up by Magnet Releasing and is scheduled for December, 10th release.
Rating: 4 spiritual visions outta 5.
Are you possessed by a need for more Mickey Reece?! Check out the links below:
Agnes Q&A from Fantastic Fest
Climate Of The Hunter review
Climate Of The Hunter interview (full discussion, audio podcast)
Climate Of The Hunter interview (transcribed excerpt from audio podcast)
What do you think? We want to know. Share your thoughts and feelings in the comments section below, and as always, remember to viddy well!