The Exorcism Review: Yes, Russell Crowe Made Another Exorcism Movie

No, you're eyes are not deceiving you, nor is this a trick being played on you by Satan, the father of all lies. "The Exorcism" is a new exorcism movie starring Russell Crowe, and it has nothing to do with Crowe's previously released "The Pope's Exorcist." I gave that film a less-than-favorable review when it first opened, but I've come to appreciate its B-movie charms, as well as its scenes of the large Crowe scooting around Rome on a tiny Vespa. Now that I've seen "The Exorcism," I appreciate "The Pope's Exorcist" even more. At least that movie was somewhat enjoyable on a cheesy level, unlike "The Exorcism," which is drab, morose, and ultimately weak. But I'll say this for Crowe: just as in "The Pope's Exorcist," he's not phoning it in. He seems fully committed to his part here, even if the movie itself feels beneath him. 

The most frustrating thing about "The Exorcism" is that it has a lot of potential. This is one of those movies where the concept and the behind-the-scenes details are more interesting than the movie itself. For instance: this horror pic was actually shot in 2019, before "The Pope's Exorcist," but is only seeing the light of day now. And here's another interesting detail: "The Exorcism" is co-written and directed by Joshua John Miller, son of Jason Miller, star of the most famous and influential exorcism movie of all time, "The Exorcist." But wait, there's more! "The Exorcism" is about an actor starring in a remake of "The Exorcist"! A movie about the remake of "The Exorcist" being directed by the son of the guy who starred in "The Exorcist" is one of those meta-details that catches your attention. Throw in the fact that Kevin Williamson, writer of "Scream, is credited as a producer here, and you've got plenty of potential. Sadly, that potential is squandered as the film descends into hoary cliches and CGI ghoul faces. Bring on "The Pope's Exorcist" sequel instead. 

Crowe plays Anthony Miller, an actor who has gone through hell thanks to his addiction to drugs and alcohol. His wife is dead, and his past transgressions have estranged him from his teenage daughter Lee (Ryan Simpkins). And we instantly know they're estranged because she calls him "Tony." ("My name's not Tony," he mumbles. "It's Dad.") After a great opening scene in which an actor dies on a set that looks like a gigantic dollhouse, Anthony is offered the dead actor's role in "The Georgetown Project," which is clearly a remake of "The Exorcist" (the movie stops just short of fully admitting this but comes as close as it possibly can without having to pay for the rights). Anthony will play one of the priests sent to save the soul of a possessed girl, played by Chloe Bailey in the movie within the movie. 

So far, so good. Anthony gets to the set, dons his priestly attire, and proceeds to bomb. His performance is clumsy, and he quickly draws the ire of the film's director, played by Adam Goldberg. The director then tries to push Anthony by forcing the actor to remember his past traumas. "You were an altar boy, right?" he asks, and then not-so-subtly hints at sexual molestation at the hands of priests. Later, he forces Anthony to remember abandoning his dying wife. "You are unredeemable," he hisses. These are the most interesting moments of the film, as they're character-based scenes about an actor being forced to atone for his sins via his new role as a priest. A better movie would flesh this out more, but "The Exorcism" starts going down a generic horror movie path. 

Soon, bodies are contorting, foul language is being hurled, and digitally-enhanced demon voices come out of Crowe's mouth. Is Anthony really possessed, or is he reverting to his old addictions? We see him chugging bottles of hard booze and struggling with sleep, frightening Lee in the process. A better movie would draw this out and keep us guessing, but "The Exorcism" has no time for subtlety. 

You can see the signs of a much better movie lurking beneath all this. A movie about making an exorcism movie should allow "The Exorcism" to have some fun with the sub-genre's trappings, but aside from some bits involving a robotic puppet, the movie comes up short. The cast is committed, though. Crowe seems slightly weary, but that ties into his character's mental state, so it doesn't distract. Also good: David Hyde Pierce, lending a touch of class as a real priest working as an advisor on the film. Pierce's character really doesn't have much to do here, but he's such a good actor that he's able to make the most of his scenes. 

But "The Exorcism" fails to capitalize on these good performances. The film is so humourless that it becomes tiresome. That might be forgivable if the movie managed to be scary, but not even one or two jump scares are enough to get your heart rate up. Ultimately, "The Exorcism" feels lifeless and soulless. The exorcism horror movie genre is already pretty dire to begin with — every single one is just trying to replicate William Friedkin's "The Exorcist." "The Exorcism" had a chance to make something of this by directly confronting and reflecting the legacy of Friedkin's film. Instead, it opts for the lazy way out, and leaves us bored. The power of Christ compels you to skip this and watch something better.

/Film Rating: 4 out of 10

"The Exorcism" opens in theaters on June 21, 2024.