Michaela, an epileptic, enrolls in college to study education. She goes off her medication and soon begins hearing voices and seeing apparitions that tell her to avoid religious objects, although she is devoutly Roman Catholic. One priest scoffs at the idea that Michaela could be possessed by demons, but a younger pastor arranges an exorcism for the young woman.
Acting
Sandra Hüller's raw, unraveling performance
Direction
Schmid's refusal to pick a side
Sound
The eerie absence of horror score manipulation
Director
Hans-Christian Schmid
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Based on the true case of Anneliese Michel, whose 1976 death during exorcism led to criminal charges against her parents and priests. Unlike Hollywood versions, Schmid filmed near her actual Bavarian hometown.
Sandra Hüller performed her own seizures after studying epilepsy patients, and the exorcism scenes were shot in single takes with no score added later—what you hear is the actual sound on set.
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