During the trial, Johnson's attorney attempted to use "Demonic possession" as a defense, but presiding Judge Robert Callahan rejected that argument.

[12] Dorothy Street Pictures worked with Make Productions, a UK company, to help retouch the Polaroid images relied on in the film.

[14] Included in the interviews with Carl Glatzel is the concern that their mother had been drugging them with Sominex on a regular basis, by putting it into their evening meals.

[7] The Daily Beast commented that the recordings of David Glatzel's alleged possession, obtained via microphones placed by the Warrens at the time, sounded "like a young kid straining to say wildly profane things.

[17] The Decider suggested viewers "skip it", stating that the film spends a lot of time indicating that there may be some basis to the claim of possession before focusing on the eldest of the Glatzel siblings, Carl, who believed otherwise.