The Seventh Day is a 2021 American horror film starring Guy Pearce, Stephen Lang, and Keith David.
Young priest Father Daniel Garcia (Vadhir Derbez) is partnered with decorated exorcist Father Peter Costello (Pearce). The two are assigned to exorcise a possessed young boy named Charlie, but Father Daniel soon stumbles upon something even more sinister at work.
The Seventh Day contains examples of:
- Big Bad: The demon possessing Father Peter is the one behind the growing rate of Demonic Possession.
- Bittersweet Ending: Daniel successfully exorcises Charlie and vanquished the demon responsible for the epidemic. But as the Archbishop and he realize, there's still numerous priests that Father Peter had possessed still out there. The film ends with Daniel starting to hunt them down.
- Black Dude Dies First: Keith David's Father Louis is the first death in the film.
- Bunny-Ears Lawyer: Father Peter is well known for being eccentric. He rarely wears priestly garb and is a foul-mouthed Bostonian, but he's widely regarded as one of the best in the field.
- Cop Killer: The demon possessing Charlie slaughters numerous police officers during its rampage in the county jail.
- Dead Star Walking: Keith David's character dies in the opening scene.
- Decoy Protagonist: The film's opening centers on Father Louis - and ends with a demon stabbing him in the throat with a crucifix.
- Demonic Possession: The church has revived exorcism in response to a growing rate of demonic possessions. The demon possessing Father Peter is responsible, as he wants to create "an army".
- Dying as Yourself: After being mortally wounded, Father Peter is freed from the demon's control and thanks Father Daniel in his last moments.
- Evil All Along: Father Peter is actually possessed by a demon, and is responsible for the epidemic of Demonic Possession.
- Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: While contemptuous of humans, "Peter" genuinely thinks being possessed is an improvement for them and is legitimately confused why Daniel is resisting.
- Evil Is Petty: After revealing his true nature, "Peter" casually takes a bite out of an apple and then wastefully chucks the rest of it into a kitchen sink.
- Faux Affably Evil: "Father Peter" - or rather the demon possessing him - is swaggering, jocular, and snarky even as he reveals himself to be an unrepentant monster.
- Heroic Willpower: Father Daniel fights off the demon's attempt to possess him through sheer will.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: The Archbishop is a kind, but firm man. He's empathetic towards Daniel and tolerant of Peter's methods, but reads the latter the riot act when he needlessly puts Daniel in danger.
- Recycled with a Gimmick: Most critics pointed out the film is essentially Training Day with exorcists. A naive rookie is taken under the wing of an eccentric Bunny-Ears Lawyer who is secretly evil.
- Villain Respect: "Father Peter" cracks an impressed grin when Daniel figures out he's a demon and turns on him.