Godforsaken (2020)

When Lisa sits up during her funeral, the mourners run from the church screaming. At first Lisa’s mother thinks it’s a miracle but after she gets closer, she shouts it’s not Lisa, at which point Lisa runs out of the church and disappears.

Chad was outside the church but ran inside to get footage of the chaos when he saw people stream out in a panic.He convinces his friends Katie and Dom this would be a great subject for a documentary.  He grew up in town and knew Lisa and her mother. 

Chad’s mother was the minister at the funeral but doesn’t want to talk about what happened. She tells him the town isn’t happy with the attention, but Chad ignores this and they go to see Lisa’s mom anyway. When no one answers, Chad walks in since the door is unlocked and he knows the family. When Lisa’s mom sees them, she angrily runs at them and chases them out.

After going to a bar to drink and insert themselves into the documentary, they head home. They stop to talk to wheelchair bound Chris who is on his porch. When Lisa shows up across the street, the group scatters but Lisa follows Chris into his home. After some shouting, Chad goes back to see if Chris is okay since that’s good footage for the documentary. Chris walks out claiming Lisa has cured him.

News of the cure spreads and people with afflictions start coming to commune with Lisa, who is in Chris’s parents dank basement and eating cats in payment. Everyone comes out happy and cured, other than the local priest, police and EMTs who comes running out and drive off in a panic.  The cured seem to be like a cult, putting up large symbols on their lawns and telling everyone to join them.  

Chad thinks they need to visit with Lisa to figure out what she’s doing. His mother decides she’ll do it since the local priest recently died in a horrible manner and she feels compelled to prove Lisa is not God.  But unlike the others who are cured by Lisa, Chad’s mom comes out a basket case, screaming, crying and saying Lisa is God. Chad wants to get his Mom help, but she says Lisa won’t let her go anywhere. This leads to a number of frustrating scenes where Mom tells him he doesn’t know what happened in there, but  she doesn’t expand on it and Chad doesn’t ask what happened. 

While it’s pretty clear that Lisa isn’t God, the latter part of the movie makes an abrupt change and switches course.  It goes from Chad and his friends doing a documentary on what’s happening to trying to survive those who support Lisa. Because everyone in town who’s seen Lisa seems hellbent on murdering those who haven’t.

The last twenty minutes of the film are filled with screaming. While it may be realistic for people to scream while being chased, it is annoying as hell to listen to in a movie. You just want them to shut the hell up and stop screeching. Also if people are trying to kill you, maybe don’t screech and yell since it will help them pin point where you are located.  

This is another film where someone is hides in the dark and doesn’t shut off the light on their freaking camera.  And when you’ve convinced yourself that must be the only way he can see in the dark, he turns on his night vision. AAAARGH!!  So first part of the movie was decent, but the last part was meh since there was never an explanation and it was just shaky cam and yelling. 

Ridiculous dialogue

Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention for one second? Chad is back!

Guys I think something went wrong here.

It’s all fun and games until a demon takes over the town

When she’s stabbed, they don’t call 911, try to stop the bleeding,
or attempt any first aid. They just cry and put a tablecloth over her.

The crossed eyes make this scene unintentionally funny

He’s hiding in the dark from lunatics trying to kill him,
 but does not turn off the light on his camera.