George C. Scott plays Lieutenant William Kinderman, a Georgetown detective who is investigating demonic killings based on a dead serial killer… Or is he?
George C. Scott in this film conveys a lot while doing very little. His character is internally very tired of dealing with these very horrific crimes and dealing with the dark side of humanity, and despite playing the character as very lethargic and reserved, Scott is still able to convey a lot of emotion and internal struggle. Also, he has some pretty memorable moments and lines that are fun to quote out of context. 😂
My favorite parts of the movie are the friendship between Kitterman and Father Paul Morning (played by Nicol Williamson); they have such delightful and chill chemistry and banter between them, and a lot of the movie's funniest and sharpest dialogue is between them.
William Peter Blatty (the author of the original novel) writes and directs the film, and his direction is solid. There are some growing pains; the camera blocking can be a little stiff, the pacing might feel a little bit off, and there are small things here and there. But there is a creativity and passion that emanates from the film, and Blatty was able to pull off what I consider to be one of the top three best jump scares of all time; like, I literally have a shirt of it upstairs, it’s so memorable 😂, so I definitely have to tip my hat to him there.
A very light spoiler… For a film that’s literally older than me 😂 The film brings back the character of Father Damien Karras from the first exorcist film. Now we’ve all seen this in the last few years, when a movie tries to bring back a character from a previous film for the character recognition, and it could be a bit of a gamble. You don’t know if it’s going to work within the story or feel kind of gimmicky, but the way they brought him back. I thought it fit pretty well and was actually pretty creative.
For me personally, the big scene stealer was Brad Dourif as the Gemini Killer. Dourif is able to switch from playing sweet and angelic to the most intense and angry dude you’ve ever seen in the drop of a hat, like his eyes. Allen deserves some kind of award for the amount of work they were doing lol.
I was surprised how quirky this movie is; there are just so many offbeat and odd characters, shocking situations, and some unusual but striking religious imagery and dream sequences littered throughout the film that it almost at points can feel like an absurd comedy, but the way they are able to turn that absurdity into something more threatening is very effective and leads to some memorable scares and sequences. So while it might feel a bit off to some people. I think it works within the context of the story.
I really liked the cinematography; there are a lot of bright lights and heavy shadows that really add an air of mystery to the whole thing that really works.
I would describe the vibe of this movie as “drama horror,” in which I mean a lot of the scares and uncomfortable feelings come from these characters having to deal with the situation and their interpersonal relationships, so that way you get to know the characters and get in their heads and how they’re feeling. You may not get a lot of jump scares or gore, but you definitely get that uncomfortable feeling throughout, which is very effective.
Also for a movie that revolves around killings… You never actually see any of the killings; you see, like, right up until the moment, and then you cut away, and then you hear about the aftermath, and somehow that makes it oddly creepier because what your mind comes up with is probably creepier than what could be filmed, so it’s a creative choice that definitely worked and fit the tone of the original film.
There are a lot of older people in this movie… Nice to see you're never too old to be scary. 😂
Originally the film wasn’t going to have an exorcist… In a movie called Exorcist III 😂, so they re-shot and added a new ending, which I’m glad they did because the visuals and intensity of the whole thing are really a great topper to the whole film. Because most of the film is very purposeful and methodical and slow, when things start going off, it really hits you hard.
Fun Fact: this movie is one of Samuel L. Jackson’s first-ever roles; there’s a dream sequence in heaven where you get to see him for like a second, so keep your eyes peeled 👀.
The Exorcist III does what all great sequels should: honor the original while doing its own unique thing and take the ideas and themes of the previous work and expand on them in fun, new ways. I give it four stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. This movie is a real head-turner… 360°. 😂
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