I’ve been pretty open about my general dislike of horror comedies in the past. Some exceptions stand out, like Tucker & Dale vs. Evil, The Draft!, and Chainsaws Were Singing, but most fall flat for me. Usually, the comedy feels forced which makes the horror elements fall flat. It also probably has to do with the fact that I don’t enjoy the feeling of happiness but that’s a conversation for a later time. When horror comedy gets all of the elements right, though, that’s when you get a truly special film.
For Sale By Exorcist is a mockumentary that follows Susan Price (Emily Classen), a real estate agent and exorcist specializing in turning a nightmare home into your next dream home! While Susan may have devoted years of her life to finding you a home, she spends her days hotel-surfing like a long-lost Winchester sister. Determined to find her dream home, Susan makes a deal with a rival celebrity realtor. But things quickly go south when the ghosts of Susan’s past come back to haunt her.
Literally.
Director Melissa LaMartina and writers Chris LaMartina and Rob Walker crafted a hysterically beautiful mockumentary chock full of laughs, ghouls, and heart. This seemingly silly premise is home to an underlying story of love and acceptance. Susan is a conduit for our personal baggage; we all have a past but it’s not until you accept your past that you can finally become the human you’re meant to be. I’m a huge fan of Chris LaMartina’s WNUF Halloween Special and Rob Walker’s GWAR article for The Hard Times, but I was pleasantly surprised with how emotional For Sale made me feel. Melissa LaMartina’s direction of Emily Classen, and Classen’s performance, completely solidified this film as an all-time horror comedy classic.
And for those who care, I counted five jokes about pickles. I don’t know if that was intentional, but it dilled my pickle.
For Sale By Exorcist hits all the tropes of exorcism and ghost stories while finding new and fun ways to include them. One of my favorite bits surrounds a bleeding wall, and the set-up and payoff nearly made me spit-take. From the film’s gorgeously crafted collage-style opening credits, which include credits like Spirit Channeling Consultant and Cursed Object Handlers, you can tell they are fully committed to the bit. And the bit works damn well.
I had one specific issue, and I would be remiss not to discuss it (like how I regret not mentioning it when reviewing Strange Harvest). One of the newspaper clippings has a photo that caused me to doubletake. There’s a photo that looks very AI-generated. I hope I’m completely wrong and would retract this paragraph in a heartbeat if I am.
For Sale By Exorcist is a charmingly fun mockumentary that delivers laughs over the backdrop of a great horror scenario. If you’re a fan of LaMartina’s comedic stylings of WNUF, this film will work greatly for you. I wasn’t expecting to be moved by a mockumentary about an exorcist real estate agent, but here we are! Hopefully, Dread will release a physical copy of this because I NEED a copy on my shelf.
Produced by Blair Witch Project’s Ed Sanchez, For Sale By Exorcist hits VOD on March 11th.