THE EXORCISM (2024) review
written by: M.A. Fortin and Joshua John Miller
produced by: Kevin Williamson, Ben Fast and Bill Block
directed by: Joshua John Miller
rating: R (for language, some violent content, sexual references and brief drug use)
runtime: 95 min.
U.S. release date: June 21, 2024
Russell Crowe in an exorcism horror flick? Didn’t we have one of these last year? Indeed, Crowe bopped around Italy on a red scooter as Father Amorth as “The Pope’s Exorcist,” and it wound up being an unexpected and unintentional hoot. Yet, here he is in another exorcism horror flick? What gives and which came first? Well, actually, “The Exorcism” went into production in 2019 but ran into snafus such as a pandemic and reshoot that took place four years later. Despite a title lacking in originality, there is some surprisingly solid characterization from screenwriters M.A. Fortin and Joshua John Miller (both of whom penned “The Final Girls”), the latter of whom directed this feature about the troubled making of a formulaic horror movie.
Obviously, the title conjures William Friedkin’s “The Exorcist” and that’s what is certainly hinted at as the movie opens. We see an unnamed actor (Adrian Pasdar) nervously enter a bedroom that resembles Regan’s from Friedkin’s horror classic. It could be a remake or a retelling. Whatever it is, by the time the actor realizes he’s not alone on the multi-level set, he’s recast with Crowe’s Anthony Miller.
He’s a has-been who was big in the 80s as an action star but has since spent years squandering his talent with the help of an alcohol addiction that could’ve been fueled by childhood abuse he experienced from a Catholic priest (which has been leaked online) and/or the loss of his wife, mother to their only child, twentysomething Lee (Ryan Simpkins). She calls him “Tony” despite his many reminders of his preference for “Dad”. She lives with Anthony in his loft apartment primarily out of concern for his mental state and sobriety, often becoming his personal assistant while on a film set. There’s an unsaid shared grief that both tiptoe around, hoping the elephant in the room will show itself out.
When Anthony is cast, it’s out of a combination of dubious desperation and pity on the part of Peter (Adam Goldberg, going big as a bully), the obnoxious director of “The Georgetown Project” (yet another nod to William Peter Blatty’s novel) who has very slim options. Anthony should’ve known what to expect, as Peter takes pride in having the former Catholic uncomfortably recite a prayer during the audition. It’s a precursor to many uncomfortable moments for Miller, who feels compelled to take the role to resuscitate his career.
As filming begins, Miller does his best to work through his discomfort, but he finds a certain awkwardness in this renewed spotlight. This is triggered when he’s introduced to Father Conor (David Hyde Pierce), an actual Catholic priest making himself available as an advisor for Miller and his co-star, Joe (Sam Worthington), who also plays a priest. As a production assistant on the set, Lee does her best to give her father space to find his footing while she also develops an interest in Blake (Chloe Bailey), the singer-turned-actress who’ll be channeling Linda Blair in the movie.
Anthony becomes increasingly plagued by flashbacks of his childhood memories as an altar boy, as well as his inability to find a truthful path to his portrayal of this priest. This causes frustration on the set due to the multiple takes called by the impatient director. Off set it becomes clear that a demon has taken possession of Miller, knowing his weakness and struggles, and soon he is unable to hold off the growing darkness.
“The Exorcism” starts confidently with a strong production design courtesy of Michael Perry and cinematographer Simon Duggan (fresh off “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga”), who deftly handles the subtle changes in technical achievements as Crowe’s possession grows. What stands out early on is the convincing father/daughter dynamic between Crowe and Simpkins. The two actors have a lived-in rapport that translates well for two characters with shared trauma. Fortin and Miller’s screenplay allows them to establish this while also taking viewers through the various components of life on a film set, referencing the numerous horror movies plagued by strange occurrences during production.
There’s a refreshing meta feel to the whole story as the movie offers enough of a new take on familiar material to make the viewing experience different. The fact that Miller’s father, the late Jason Miller, played Father Damien Karras in “The Exorcist” no doubt helps the director firmly grasp the continuous impact of Friedkin’s film. With “The Exorcism” examining the dark parts of the protagonist’s soul, it gives Miller a chance to lend some unexpected humanity to the demonic possession subgenre.
The third act goes a little too big to create an inevitable demonic climax in a movie that, until then, uses jump scares sparingly. There’s the expected cold room and blue/green palettes, which feel like checking boxes of genre conventions. Still, “The Exorcism” is definitely offering more than what anyone is expecting as it steers clear of cliché trappings throughout most of the runtime.
RATING: ***
