‘The Exorcism’ Is a Bumpy Ride That Doesn’t Quite Have Faith In Itself

Possession horror films are sometimes fairly boring affairs, partially as a result of they usually attempt too exhausting to repeat William Friedkin’s The Exorcist (1973) in a method or one other. The harmless sufferer, the troubled man of religion, the coarse supernatural antics of vile entities, the triumphant denunciation of evil. 2023’s The Pope’s Exorcist dodged that bullet by discovering a recent spin, a way of enjoyable, and actual persona — together with a Vespa-riding Russell Crowe — and now Crowe is again within the collar for a completely unrelated exorcist story referred to as The Exorcism. Don’t let the tasteless title idiot you, although. This one takes a highway much less taken too even when its meta footing can’t maintain that highway almost as nicely (as a Vespa).

Anthony Miller (Crowe) is a widower, a single dad, a washed-up actor, and an addict who can nonetheless style the alcohol he gave up lower than a yr in the past. He’s struggling to connect with his teenaged daughter, Lee (Ryan Simpkins), who’s not too long ago been suspended from faculty and refuses to name him dad. A preproduction incident on the set of an upcoming horror remake — it’s by no means talked about by identify, however the film inside the film is supposed to be a remake of The Exorcist — leaves a gap within the lead function as a priest battling for the soul of a younger girl. Miller lands the job and brings Lee aboard as a PA as a possibility to bond, however pleasure quickly curdles as one thing evil settles inside him. What do you do when it’s the exorcist who wants an exorcism?

There’s sufficient in that setup to make for a reasonably easy piece of possession horror, however horrible title apart, The Exorcism isn’t enthusiastic about being easy. Relatively than merely let that story unfold, director/co-writer Joshua John Miller as a substitute takes a extra meta strategy, each onscreen and off. You see, not solely is Miller a previous baby actor — River’s Edge (1986), Close to Darkish (1987) — however he’s additionally the son of actor Jason Miller, who famously performed the doomed Father Karras in The Exorcist. The movie feels, in some ways, like a defensive assault towards the Catholic church and Hollywood, two towering entities identified for chewing up and spitting out the harmless. The concepts are unavoidably intriguing, however the satan is within the particulars.

The script, by Miller and writing associate M.A. Fortin, is one thing of a floor stage riff on the well-documented troubles that confronted Friedkin’s movie throughout manufacturing. It’s not attempting to match the real-life issues they confronted, however the director of The Georgetown Venture — the movie inside the movie’s title — performed right here by Adam Goldberg, is portrayed as a controlling, demeaning, and oblivious prick who pushes Anthony in more and more insensitive methods. As soon as the actor begins behaving surprisingly, it’s assumed by everybody that he’s again on the sauce as a result of stress and stress. That they proceed to assume that even after witnessing his face change earlier than their eyes and his physique float within the air, nicely, Hollywood of us are self-centered and silly, apparently.

The church, in the meantime, is dealt a two-pronged poke beginning with the presence of Father Conor (David Hyde Pierce) who’s on-set as an advisor regardless of being a person lengthy missing in religion of his personal. It’s revealed that Anthony was molested by a priest when he was a baby serving as an altar boy, and Miller movies the primary assembly of Anthony and Father Conor as if their paths had crossed earlier than. Nothing’s executed with the implication, although, and the minor age-gap distinction between the 2 actors makes it unlikely anyway, however it’s simply one among many threads that feels untethered and flapping within the breeze. Lee is given a romance subplot, a youthful actor (Sam Worthington) has a dilemma over changing the declining and unstable Anthony, and Anthony himself is tempted again by the bottle.

Miller clearly has rather a lot on his thoughts with The Exorcism, and it more and more begins to really feel as if the horror facet of all of it is definitely the ingredient he’s least enthusiastic about. Goldberg’s director character describes his remake as a “psychological drama wrapped within the pores and skin of a horror film,” and that’s really a good evaluation of The Exorcism itself. There’s nothing unsuitable with that strategy, clearly, however it all will get greater than just a little cluttered because the third act ramps up the very horrors that these earlier themes appear detached to. Leap scares, shadow play, CG assists to contorting faces — style beats begin dropping quick and livid whereas character components slowly diminish.

Miller and Fortin beforehand gifted style followers with 2015’s The Remaining Women, a horror/comedy that takes an much more meta strategy whereas additionally delivering laughs, thrills, and real emotion. It’s a terrific movie, and the promise that Miller confirmed as director there are noticeable right here in smaller doses. The opening that includes a priest strolling by way of an ominous house sees the digital camera pull again to disclose it as a soundstage, and it’s each an important visible and a tease concerning the artificiality of Hollywood. An excessive amount of of it feels far much less impressed, although, leaving the movie’s tone and environment greater than just a little unmoored. His digital camera rightfully loves Crowe, although, and the actor as soon as once more compels your consideration as he faces issues each acquainted and supernatural.

Whether or not by authentic design or by belabored post-production efforts — the movie was shot in 2019 and has been within the can since 2020 for varied causes — The Exorcism feels as if it’s being pulled in opposing instructions. The metaphor of all of it, whether or not for the soul-sucking nature of Hollywood and the church or for Jason Miller’s expertise throughout and after The Exorcist, stays attention-grabbing, and there’s a much more managed tackle all of it that exists (in all probability nonetheless in J.J. Miller’s head) ready to be informed. The horror beats that ultimately take over, in the meantime, are all a bit too generic. Nonetheless, because it stands, these concepts and Crowe’s devoted presence are sufficient of a draw right here to make the movie price a watch. Or you may simply skip it and rewatch The Pope’s Exorcist…

Associated Subjects: Horror, Russell Crowe

Rob Hunter has been writing for Movie Faculty Rejects since earlier than you have been born, which is bizarre seeing as he is so rattling younger. He is our Chief Movie Critic and Affiliate Editor and lists ‘Broadcast Information’ as his favourite movie of all time. Be happy to say hello for those who see him on Twitter @FakeRobHunter.