You think you love your best friend? You’d do anything for them, right? My Best Friend’s Exorcism puts that faith to the test. Set in 1988, the film – based on the spectacular book of the same name by author Grady Hendrix – follows two inseparable best friends as their friendship is put through hell. The end result is… perhaps more lighthearted than you’d expect.
Gretchen (Amiah Miller, War for the Planet of the Apes) and Abby (Elsie Fisher, Eighth Grade) have been best friends since they were awkward youngsters. They do everything together, which – on one fateful night – includes an acid trip that goes horribly awry. The girls are separated in the deep dark woods; when they’re finally reunited, something is… off with Gretchen. She seems to be crumbling – physically and mentally – and poor Abby is at a total loss for how to help her other half. Worse yet, Gretchen seems to be behind some seriously unfortunate series of events. There’s only one explanation: Gretchen is possessed.
Full disclosure, My Best Friend’s Exorcism (and the works of Grady Hendrix in general) is a personal favorite when it comes to horror literature. Hendrix is well skilled at wrapping you up in the drama and trauma of a story, crafting characters you truly care about with emotional moments that can be best described as “tear jerking”. So, naturally, there were some expectations as well as reservations when learning of the book’s adaptation.
Directed by Damon Thomas (Killing Eve), My Best Friend’s Exorcism comes to us from Amazon Prime Video, and as such, it’s built for mass appeal. It’s not too dark, not too heavy, and has some punched-up moments of CGI horror that’s still safe for younger eyes. It rides high on nostalgia and the warm fuzzies of true friendship. It’s day-glow bright and squeaky clean. It feels too clean for a film about a teenage exorcism.
At its heart, My Best Friend’s Exorcism is about the power of true friendship. Those ride-or-die relationships, and what happens when that “or die” part is put in play. When parents, teachers, and fellow friends all willfully turn a blind eye to Gretchen’s struggles, Abby is there, fighting to help her find her way back. There are, of course, some redirections in the story. Rewrites which are generally understandable – given the target audience – but they don’t gel quite as well. Some points feel spoon-fed while others are dropped without enough attention.
That said, in terms of a target audience, it’s a bit muddy. It’s a bit too teen for elder millennials (for whom the book will mostly appeal to), but maybe a bit too dependent on 80s nostalgia for teens to really click in.
For a film that’s rooted in the 80s, there was hope for more practical effects than CGI. Some moments may have been a challenge for practical effects, but seeing what 22 year old Rob Bottin was able to pull off with The Thing, well, anything is possible.
As a novel adaptation, cutting some corners and leaving things out really just comes with the territory. We can expect this. If you’re a die-hard fan of the book, be prepared. My Best Friend’s Exorcism takes several lines of dialogue directly from the book, but the plot is really more of a guideline that writer Jenna Lamia uses as a jumping off point.
Some moments feel like an odd choice, but contrasting with the way the story unfolds in the book, certain elements would not have translated well for broad appeal. You can’t get away with everything on Amazon Prime. That said, these substitute scenes and added hot topics are handled with the fumbling dexterity of an overeager teen trying to take off a bra.
It would be great to see the film approached by a different studio perhaps, one that leans into the darker, heavier elements that make the concept of a possessed teen bestie really work. When you’re young and willing to do anything, you’re bound to get yourself into some treacherous territory, but Abby comes out unscathed. By making the film brighter and more approachable, it gives easier access and more opportunity, but it pulls the teeth from the bite.
Of course, it’s often better to think of an adaptation as a separate entity. For an Amazon Prime Video original, My Best Friend’s Exorcism is a bright, optimistic reflection on those formative teen years where friendship really does mean everything. It’s a cute teen horror, but it pulls too many punches to really satisfy. But with its broad accessibility, it will (hopefully) bring the horror genre to the girl gangs of Gen Z. Hopefully without the acid trips.