The Cleansing Hour

As the cameras roll on The Cleansing Hour, childhood friends Max (character) and Drew orchestrate another meticulously crafted episode of "Father Max" exorcising a possessed individual. Behind the scenes, each possession is a masterfully scripted ruse designed to captivate their audience, enticing viewers to like, follow, and ultimately purchase merchandise. For Max, the allure of a massive following has become an all-consuming obsession, driving him to push the boundaries of his show's popularity.

Meanwhile, Drew's fiancée Lane (character) is initially supportive of the charade, even volunteering to take on the role of the possessed person when their scheduled actor fails to appear. However, as the stream commences, it becomes apparent that something has gone horribly awry. Lane's possession proves authentic, and the demon wreaks havoc on the crew, systematically eliminating them one by one. The duo is eventually left standing, forced to confront the brutal reality of their situation.

As the stream continues, the demon coerces both men into confessing their deepest secrets. Max begins by revealing the truth about the show: it's a carefully crafted illusion designed to entertain and deceive. However, as the broadcast progresses, he reveals a darker truth - one that has haunted him for years. As children, Max and Drew attended the same Catholic school, where they were subjected to merciless beatings at the hands of a sadistic nun who delighted in meting out punishment for perceived transgressions. On one fateful occasion, Max was forced to take drastic action to protect his friend from further abuse, resulting in the nun's untimely demise.

This traumatic event left an indelible mark on Max, forever altering the trajectory of his life. He eventually abandoned his calling as a priest, disillusioned by the Catholic Church's complicity in covering up rampant abuses and corruption within its ranks. The Cleansing Hour was born from this bitter experience, a misguided attempt to find redemption through the cathartic power of exorcisms. As Max stands before Lane, now fully possessed, he is forced to confront the demons that have haunted him for so long - the true horror being not the supernatural entity possessing Lane, but the darkness lurking within himself.

As Drew's stream gains unprecedented traction, he becomes increasingly aware that the malevolent force behind it is exploiting the platform for its own sinister purposes. Seizing control of the situation, Drew cuts off the feed, initially believing the demon's true intention was to humiliate the Catholic church. However, a deeper examination of the demon's cryptic remarks during the stream ultimately reveals its identity as Aamon, a name that unlocks access to a database containing crucial information about the entity's modus operandi.

Armed with this newfound understanding, Drew reconnects the feed, only to have it hijacked by one final revelation: Max and Lane's prior intimate encounter. This bombshell nearly derails their collective efforts to perform an exorcism, but the rapidly escalating viewer count serves as a timely reminder of the gravity of their situation. Despite the successful expulsion of the demon from Lane, the trio's fragile bond is irreparably shattered by this betrayal.

The respite is short-lived, as Aamon reappears before them, revealing a shocking truth: it was never the true entity they had been dealing with all along. Lucifer himself has manipulated events to gain access to the stream and subsequently possess the millions of viewers currently watching, now numbering over 17 million strong. The possessed masses turn on those around them, unleashing chaos worldwide as they target innocent bystanders, including the President of the United States - his own son among the mayhem's victims.

As the credits roll, the world is left to grapple with the devastating consequences of Lucifer's possession, a grim reminder of the destructive power that can be unleashed when humanity becomes complacent in its reliance on technology.