Courtney Gets Possessed (2023) Review

Always a bridesmaid and never a bride? Ever thought about making a deal with the devil? Courtney Gets Possessed is the chaotic horror comedy that answers these questions with quick wit and a splash of blood. Jono Mitchell and Madison Hatfield bring a modern take on the “pact with a demon” story that is wildly off the wall and bound to get a few laughs. Courtney Gets Possessed is available On Digital + On Demand, and will be heading to Dark Matter TV later this year.

Courtney is the forever bridesmaid in question when she meets the cunning Dave (Jonathon Pawlowski) at her cousin’s wedding. Something about Dave seems off from the get-go but he is set aside with a five-year time skip to Courtney’s wedding rehearsal. Mitchell and Hatfield waste no time setting the dynamics between the bride-to-be, her sister Caitlyn (Madison Hatfield), maid of honor Lexi (Aditi George), and future sister-in-law Jasmine (Najah Bradley). It feels like the start of a wedding drama Reddit post with lots of tension cemented in their first scene together. The banter flows easily between the bridal party and each actor owns their characters’ unique humor and demeanor very well.

After some sister drama rears its head, Caitlyn bumps into the mysterious Dave, invites him for a late-night meet and rejoins the girls for a pre-wedding celebration. During this, Courtney begins acting strange and eventually convinces her bridal party to join her in a hilariously wellness-coded protection ritual or, in Jasmine’s words, “white lady witch shit.” This gets interrupted by Dave’s arrival and all literal hell breaks loose.

Dave, AKA the devil himself, reveals that Courtney unwittingly bound herself to him and he is here to collect before she marries Glenn (Zae Jordan). Things get serious for the girls real quick as Dave locks them in the house, possesses their bride, and murders Hot Pizza Guy (Spencer Mumford) right in front of them. The girls rally the help of the groom and groomsmen but how are a bunch of godless millennials going to fight off a demon?

Chaos ensues as Dave does what demons do, torture, murder, and possess people. All of this is laced with some great horror references to The The Exorcist, The Exorcist III, and Beetlejuice. There are some truly worrying moments for the gang as they fight and almost give up on one another, all while Dave grossly displays the power he has over them. But each one of these moments is backed by a sarcastic remark, sly joke, or over-the-top characterizations of wedding planners or the mother-of-the-bride. This balance is a rare find in horror comedies and always makes for a fun watch.

Dave is finally backed into a corner when Caitlyn uses her reputation as the family disgrace to her advantage and steals yet another potential husband away from Courtney. Through this, the sisters start to heal their relationship, Dave is under Caitlyn’s rule, and Courtney can finally get married.

Mitchell and Hatfield brought some new life into the horror comedy lineup by seamlessly blending genre ropes with internet memes, dark humor, and millennial cringe. The entire cast, regardless of the size of their role, had great chemistry and even better delivery. The fast-paced banter created such motion in the plot that the slower, more emotional scenes felt a little dragged out and almost predictable. Note that these tense scenes unpacking familial trauma did not feel forced, they just felt a bit too long. Courtney Gets Possessed is a treat of a film that will deliver some creeps but even more laughs.

Movie Rating:

Courtney Gets Possessed trailer