One in a long line of found footage horror movies, The Last Exorcism follows a preacher as he, you guessed it, oversees an exorcism. But the film digs deeper. The preacher, Cotton Marcus, wants to reveal the tracks of fake exorcists. The situation dances back and forth between real possession and simple trauma. And the preacher has a clear objective, one that drives the movie and makes for our take-away.
Investing in Character
Most horror movies, the characters have a simple objective: survive. Maybe they have something else they want which gets them into this situation. Or once we make it to Act 2, smaller objectives differentiate the sequences (find the sorcerer’s book, discover the cult’s goal, trap the alien) but the drive remains the same – survive.
The Last Exorcism takes the time to invest in its main character. We learn about Cotton. How he learned fake exorcisms from his father. That he’s lost his faith in God. And why he has agreed to this documentary.
You see, his last exorcism resulted in a boy dying. That moment changed him, and now he crusades against fake exorcisms. This documentary is a way to reveal the tricks of the trade. Prevent others from suffering as that child did. Redirect them to the professional medical help they really need.
This goal drives the whole movie. Cotton stays through every escalating horror beat because he’s driven to save children. His loss of faith fuels the uncertainty of the story itself regarding the possession. And his reveals of the tricks of the trade make for a unique and entertaining Act 2.
In short, the character’s goals and motivations are integral to the story. Instead of the usual plug and play – some character winds up in bad situation, must survive – who Cotton is feeds into the story and theme. As a result, we care and are invested more than the usual horror movie. And we never have a moment where we wonder why the characters run away in the face of obviously terrible things.
Applying To Your Own Work
Take the time to connect your character to your story beyond a surface level. Make sure their goal drives the narrative itself. Keeps getting them in deeper. And because your character cares, we will care.