Set in the late 80s, My Best Friend’s Exorcism isn’t a modern look back at a story in the 80’s but feels like it came right from the time period. With the hairstyles, the clothing, music choices and even sound mixing of the background – the movie could fit right next to Heathers and other 80s angsty teen movies of the period. The only exception, of course, is the book the movie was based on came out in 2016. That, however, doesn’t mean that the new Prime Video film is one that you should ignore.
The movie follows a group of four girls who are in high school – like most friend groups, there are different sets of best friends and friend dynamics. The main relationship the movie focuses on is Gretchen and Abby, as they navigate what happens after Gretchen is possessed by a demon after a night partying at the lake.
Although the movie can be a bit campy at times, it’s not jump scare horror. Instead, it focuses on life as an 80s teen, and moments that will give older viewers nostalgia for those simpler times we grew up in. There isn’t technology connecting all of the girls, they have to actually call their friends on the landline, or visit if they want to check-in.
Dripping in urban legends, purity culture and the quintessential Ouija board game at a sleep over – the movie is playing out the experiences of most teen girls of the 80s and 90s. Minus, of course, the demon possession and having to figure out how to actually perform an exorcism on your best friend.
The movie, of course, is geared towards a younger audience. Since it was based on a Young Adult novel, this should be obvious. And while the movie isn’t deep, it also leans more toward the creepy instead of the scary. It’s a “safer” scary movie for younger audiences. There is some cursing, some moments of more mature conversation and topics – but it’s not a movie that will give kids or teens nightmares after watching it. It will, however, take older viewers for a journey through their own teen years and meets every bit of nostalgia that movies set in the 80s often miss out on.
My Best Friend’s Exorcism is now streaming on Prime Video. Grab your snacks, invite your best friends over and snuggle up for a nostalgic (and a bit campy) scary movie.
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About My Best Friend’s Exorcism
The year is 1988. High school sophomores Abby and Gretchen have been best friends since fourth grade. But after an evening of skinny-dipping goes disastrously wrong, Gretchen begins to act…different. She’s moody. She’s irritable. And bizarre incidents keep happening whenever she’s nearby. Abby’s investigation leads her to some startling discoveries—and by the time their story reaches its terrifying conclusion, the fate of Abby and Gretchen will be determined by a single question: Is their friendship powerful enough to beat the devil?