There’s no shortage of food for horror aficionados in 2022. An official release date for Amazon’s feature film adaptation of Grady Hendrix’s 2016 novel My Best Friend’s Exorcism has been given. Filming on the film, which Hendrix acted as a creative consultant for, is scheduled to begin in September on Amazon Prime Video. 2022 is the perfect year to relive your favourite decade of the 1980s. A month after the Season 4 conclusion of Stranger Things on Netflix, and a few days after the debut of Paper Girls in bookstores, Amazon’s adaptation of Jimi Hendrix’s novel My Best Friend’s Exorcism is in high demand.
“Dearly but not queerly” best friends Abby Rivers and Gretchen Lang (Elsie Fisher and Amiah Miller) grow up during the satanic hysteria of the late 1980s in the novel that Jenna Lamia’s (Good Girls) screenplay is based on. Only demonic possession separates the two from their childhood friendship, which began in the fourth grade. That’s something Gretchen does all alone. For some reason, one of the dynamic duo gets possessed by the devil when a girl’s night out goes horribly wrong, leading to an action-packed high school horror movie adventure. Best-selling horror novelist Hendrix has a wide selection of gruesome tales to choose from.
It’s not uncommon for his books to be influenced by other authors’ works, from this retro-themed page-turner to his The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires, which has been compared to Steel Magnolias and Dracula. Hendrix’s stories are perfect for original film adaptations because of their unashamed camp. Southern Book Club and The Final Girl Support Group are both in the works as television shows based on his 2014 novel Horrorstör, which deals with a haunted Ikea-inspired ORSK shop. Endeavour Content, the production company behind Happy Death Day 2U, Freaky, and many Paranormal Activity films, acquired the rights to Hendrix’s novel in 2018.
Director Damon Thomas makes his feature picture directorial debut with My Best Friend’s Exorcism; he is well known for his work on Penny Dreadful, Dracula, and Killing Eve. As Christian Lemon, Clayton Royal Johnson (Stranger Things), Cathy Ang (And Just Like That…), and others join Fisher and Miller in My Best Friend’s Exorcism to round out the cast. Just in time for Halloween, Amazon Prime Video will debut My Best Friend’s Exorcism on September 30!
Summary
1988 is the year of our Lord Jesus Christ. They’ve been great friends since 4th grade. Abby and Gretchen are sophomores at their high school. Gretchen’s behaviour begins to change when a night of skinny-dipping goes awry. She’s prone to mood swings. Intensely abrasive. When she’s around, strange things start to happen. A single question will determine the fate of Abby and Gretchen: is their relationship strong enough to defeat the devil?