Requiem (2006)

This is a German-made fictionalized take on the true story of Annaliese Michel, the same girl who provided inspiration for The Exorcism of Emily Rose.

This time, it's set in the right place (Germany) and the right year (1976) and is free of special effects which push the "possession" angle. All of these choices make for a much more sad and truly frightening story.

Michaela, a shy 21-year-old, comes from a strict and superstitious Catholic community. Because she suffers from periodic seizures, she's been isolated from people her age and disallowed from attending out-of-town university. With her problem seemingly under control, though, she finally escapes to college life and starts to find out who she is when people aren't telling her who to be.

What happens next is the mystery. Do her seizures return? Is it some more serious medical/mental condition like schizophrenia? Is she demonically possessed? I like the way that the story let us just see what was going on without pushing one answer on us. And my heart broke for the compliant Michaela, whose seemingly simple desire was to be both a good Catholic and happy -- two things that, in her life, were out of reach.

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