Review: The Exorcism (2024)

The Exorcism from director Joshua John Miller is a story about Anthony Miller, a down and out former alcoholic and addict actor who lands the role in a remake of a famous horror film after the original star of the remake suffered a deadly accident on the set. At the same time, Anthony’s estranged daughter Lee comes to live with him after being kicked out of school. As the filming goes on, Anthony’s behavior becomes strange and erratic, leaving his daughter to wonder if he has fallen back on his old habits or if there is something darker taking hold of her father.

The best description for The Exorcism is the same description the on-screen director gave about the remake they were making; “a psychological drama wrapped in the skin of a horror movie.” The story here is more about exorcizing your inner demons than it is about demonic possession. Russell Crowe puts in one of his best performances as Anthony. You feel the character’s depression, struggles with addiction, and challenges he is facing in the unforgiving industry that is Hollywood. You can also feel his confusion as he tries to work out if the cause of his behavior is because of his vices or due to an actual demon inside him. You are sympathetic towards him and his daughter who still loves him but can’t forgive him for his past actions. Ryan Simpkins puts in a solid performance as Lee, and has a great connection with Crowe. The two felt like an authentic father/daughter pair, and that dynamic is the heart of the film. I also liked the chemistry between Simpkins and Chloe Bailey who plays Blake Holloway, one of Anthony’s co-stars. I would have liked to see Bailey get more screen time. Blake was mostly there to be the love interest for Lee but thanks to Bailey’s performance, you could tell there are more layers that were never explored.

There are a lot of meta references going on in The Exorcism. It is directed by the son of Jason Miller who played Damien Karras in The Exorcist. A number of sets in the movie within the movie are very similar to sets in The Exorcist, especially the bedroom. Some of the lines of dialog Anthony Miller has are also very similar to Damien’s dialog. The idea that the movie being made is cursed is a reference to the idea that the original Exorcist film was cursed. This parallel is enforced with Peter, the director of the remake. Peter is played by Adam Goldberg, and I do not think it is a coincidence he looks very similar to John Landis. Landis directed Twilight Zone: The Movie which is also considered to be a cursed film. ​

After the opening scare, it takes a while for The Exorcism to get into a full horror groove. There are creepy demonic moments peppered along the way but it doesn’t get back to being full-blown horror until the final fifteen minutes. The moments we do get are very effective, such as a subtle gimmick they do with Crowes’ eyes and a rather abrupt and brutal kill of a supporting character. Many old-school techniques are used such as a disturbing sound design, with use of shadows and a moody soundtrack to help underscore the creepy tension.

For those looking for wall-to-wall horror or foul mouth tirades punctuated with excessive amounts of bodily fluid being thrown across the room, The Exorcism will not be for you. If you are looking for a horror themed drama about inner reflection, coming to terms with your past actions and starting the process of healing then you will want to check it out. As a straight horror film, I would give it 2.5 out of 5 but as a dramatic film with horror elements I would give it a 3.5 out of 5 for the direction and the excellent performance of Russell Crowe. #theexorcism