The Cleansing Hour

The Cleansing Hour

Year: 2019

Runtime: 91 mins

Language: English

Director: Damien LeVeck

Echo Score: 80
HorrorHorror

Two young entrepreneurs create viral internet hoaxes by staging elaborate exorcism videos. Their prank takes a terrifying turn when one of their girlfriends unexpectedly becomes possessed by a genuine demon, forcing them to confront the horrifying consequences of their actions.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – The Cleansing Hour (2019)

Explore the full timeline and setting of The Cleansing Hour (2019). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Contemporary

The events unfold in modern times, powered by social media metrics and real-time audience interaction. Viewer counts climb into millions, driving risk-taking and sensationalism. The past trauma from the Catholic school era resurfaces through confessional segments, anchoring the present turmoil.

Location

The Cleansing Hour studio, Catholic school (flashbacks), United States

The Cleansing Hour studio is a high-tech set built for a live-stream exorcism show, designed to maximize engagement and profits. Flashbacks reveal a Catholic school environment where Max and Drew endured harsh discipline, shaping their relationship. The film juxtaposes the glossy studio world with the darker memories of their past.

🎥 Studio 🏫 Catholic school 🌐 Live stream culture

Last Updated: October 01, 2025 at 12:21

Main Characters – The Cleansing Hour (2019)

Meet the key characters of The Cleansing Hour (2019), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Drew (Kyle Gallner)

Co-host of The Cleansing Hour who helps orchestrate fake exorcisms to grow their audience. He is driven by the thrill of bigger viewership but increasingly faces the consequences of their deception. The escalating secrets test his loyalty to Max and threaten to destroy their partnership.

🎭 Drama 🧩 Ambition 🔒 Secrets

Max (Ryan Guzman)

The ambitious creator behind The Cleansing Hour who pushes the fake exorcisms to the limit for ratings. He is haunted by a traumatic school memory and a past life as a priest, which complicates his moral compass. His confessions reveal how far he was willing to go for fame and control.

🎭 Drama 🔥 Ambition 🕯️ Guilt

Lane (Alix Angelis)

Drew’s fiancée who agrees to step in as the possessed for an episode. She is supportive yet skeptical of the show's methods, and her role becomes more dangerous as the plot unfolds and the line between performance and possession blurs.

💖 Relationships 🎭 Drama 🔎 Trust

Lane (Possessed) (Voice: Tara Karsian)

Lane possessed by the demon, using the livestream to advance its own goals and to manipulate viewers. Her possession escalates the danger, turning the audience into a weapon that affects everyone around them.

🧿 Possession 🎭 Drama 🌪️ Chaos

Last Updated: October 01, 2025 at 12:21

Major Themes – The Cleansing Hour (2019)

Explore the central themes of The Cleansing Hour (2019), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🎭 Media Manipulation

The Cleansing Hour exposes how fake exorcisms are staged to attract viewers, subscribers, and merchandise sales. The show weaponizes fear and sacred imagery for profit, blurring ethics with entertainment. It challenges the audience to consider what they enable when they reward deception.

🙏 Religious Trauma

A brutal Catholic-school past and abuses within the church haunt the protagonists, informing their present choices. The demonic plot intersects with guilt, confession, and a longing for absolution. The film uses religious symbols to critique institutional harm and the search for meaning.

🤝 Betrayal

Max and Drew’s friendship fractures under secrets, lies, and the hunger for fame. Confessions reveal double lives and shattered trust, pushing them toward a dangerous brink. The betrayal amplifies the peril as the line between ally and adversary disappears.

Last Updated: October 01, 2025 at 12:21

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Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Movies with a deadly livestream like The Cleansing Hour

Horror films where a live broadcast or staged event becomes a trap for real terror.If you liked the terrifying premise of The Cleansing Hour, you'll find similar movies here where broadcasts go horribly wrong. These horror and thriller films feature live events, reality shows, or staged hoaxes that become genuine nightmares, creating intense and claustrophobic viewing experiences.

high stakesclaustrophobicparanoidunforgivingconfrontationalanxious

Narrative Summary

These narratives typically begin with a false or performative scenario, such as a ghost hunt, a reality TV show, or an online hoax. The story's central conflict erupts when authentic supernatural or murderous forces intrude, turning the production into a fight for survival. The structure is often real-time or confined, exploiting the tension between the public façade and the private panic.

Why These Movies?

Movies are grouped here for their shared premise of a media event becoming a deadly trap. They create a unique form of tension by combining the immediacy of a live situation with the horror of exposed secrets and the inability to escape the very spectacle they created.

Demonic horror movies with deep themes like The Cleansing Hour

Demonic stories that use the genre to expose real-world trauma and hypocrisy.Fans of The Cleansing Hour who appreciated its exploration of trauma and guilt will find similar movies here. These are terrifying supernatural horror films where the demonic presence acts as a brutal truth-teller, exposing hypocrisy and forcing characters to face their past sins.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern involves a demonic force that attacks characters not just physically, but psychologically. It systematically unearths repressed memories, hidden betrayals, and moral failings, often using them as weapons. The horror escalates through this process of exposure, making the external threat a mirror for internal corruption or pain.

Why These Movies?

These movies are grouped together because they share a focus on demonic horror as a means of psychological and thematic exploration. They are characterized by a dark tone, heavy emotional weight, and a focus on the consequences of buried trauma and secrets being violently brought to light.

Unlock the Full Story of The Cleansing Hour

Don't stop at just watching — explore The Cleansing Hour in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what The Cleansing Hour is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

The Cleansing Hour Summary

Read a complete plot summary of The Cleansing Hour, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

The Cleansing Hour Summary

The Cleansing Hour Timeline

Track the full timeline of The Cleansing Hour with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

The Cleansing Hour Timeline

The Cleansing Hour Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of The Cleansing Hour that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

The Cleansing Hour Spoiler-Free Summary

More About The Cleansing Hour

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More About The Cleansing Hour

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