Having thought to be abandoned by her mother as a child, a schoolgirl learns that her absent parent was a renown exorcist who was left to keep the family safe. She learns this information through one of her mother's disciples, a delinquent looking woman who whisks her away from her friend. At the bequest of the woman, the schoolgirl decides to take up the mantle of exorcist in order to avenge the mother she thought had left her behind.
“My First Exorcism” is Screening at JFFH 2020 Online-Festival
“My First Exorcism”, despite the alluding to horror in the title, is a brief comedic romp that follows a young girls' first foray into exorcism. The concept is as simple as it sounds, with little depth of narrative beyond highlighting her first attempt at quelling a demon. Thankfully, the approach is playful in nature and fires of gags and jokes at a fast pace best suiting of a brief comedy.
The lack of budget is pretty apparent and is reflected in almost every aspect of the production. However, this adds to the comedic charm, particularly in the crude special effects that are aware of their own awkward delivery. This makes the shoestring budgeted short still keep its charm by leaning on its best attribute (humor). Unfortunately, there is one minor slip-up in production that is consistent, and this comes from a soundtrack that is too loud and causes nothing but annoyance. In spite of the score, “My First Exorcism” finds ways to make its limitations endearing instead of insufferable.
The performances compliment the simplistic approach by offering boisterous and campy dialogue to the absurd happenings. This sentiment is reflected in all roles, big or small, keeping the film at a consistent and complimentary pace for the genre. As a result, many of the memorable moments come via the exaggerated delivery of the actors.
“My First Exorcism” is a fun comedic short, boasting moments of memorable lunacy by way of purposely crude special effects and campy performances. Overall, director Kimihiko Nakamura has crafted an enjoyable short which fans of absurd Japanese cinema should appreciate.
