Director: David Gordon Green
Starring: Leslie Odom Jr, Ellen Burstyn, Olivia O’Neill, Lidya Jewett, Ann Dowd, Jennifer Nettles, Raphael Sbarge, EJ Bonilla, Celeste Oliva
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Runtime: 120 mins. Reviewed in Oct 2023
Reviewer: Fr Peter Malone msc

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Rating notes: Strong supernatural violence and coarse language

When two girls disappear into the woods and return three days later with no memory of what happened to them, the father of one girl initiates a multi-faith exorcism.

It is 50 years since the original The Exorcist surprised, sometimes shocked audiences and introduced the cinema treatment of exorcisms and further explorations of diabolical possession. The Exorcist itself led to two sequels as well as two prequels. On the occasion of this significant anniversary, the first of three planned Exorcist films has been released. (And it comes a month after the release of another exorcism film, The Nun II, and its box office success.)

Unlike the original, this is not a Catholic film, though there are some emerging Catholic themes. For the first 40 minutes, audiences may be wondering whether they are watching right film. This part is a family drama with a forceful earthquake in a Haiti setting. Victor (Odom Jr), holidaying with his pregnant wife, who receives a number of the blessings from sympathetic motherly women with local powers and traditions, has to make a crucial life-decision after the massive earthquake destruction.

Thirteen years later in a rural town in Georgia, Victor is living there with his 13-year-old daughter, Angie. A lively girl she is good friends with Katherine, the daughter of devout Christians, who quote scripture and attend services at the local evangelical church, listen to the pastor’s scripture-text sermons. And audiences may still be waiting for the diabolical possessions.

Walking in the countryside after school, Katherine attempts a kind of hypnotism of Angie so that she can be in contact with her mother. The girls then disappear. After frantic searches they are discovered three days later, 50km away with no memory of what has happened. They are taken to hospital.

So, there have been religious suggestions – the visit to a Catholic church in Haiti, the local religious blessings, the Georgia evangelical church, and a woman in the town reaching out with prayers and traditions from Africa and the slave tradition. And, eventually, a Catholic connection, with Ann Dowd as a former nun, with her own secret, working in the hospital.

And so it begins – with a rather evangelical theological analogy. After his death, Jesus descended into hell for three days then rose again; the girls were missing three days and experienced hell. And for resurrection – exorcism.

Actually, it takes quite a lot of running time in the film for the manifestations to begin. They do, and they increase in horror and, of course, memories of Linda Blair’s Regan in the original film (and the information given that Linda Blair worked with the two actresses for their performances here).

And, speaking of Regan, the nurse gives Victor a book written by Chris MacNeil about her experience with her daughter, the loss of her daughter, disappearance, her being questioned about the experience so often, that she did not actually witness the exorcisms which the priests effected, but she has spent many years investigating possession and exorcism in a wide range of cultures. She agrees to come to the town, and vigorously confronts the demons in the girls. Her attempt of exorcism has some devastating consequences. (Ellen Burstyn had refused offers to reprise her role as Chris MacNeil for decades but finally accepted the invitation of the director, was paid well and gave away all her salary to an acting school foundation.) At 90 while filming, Ellen Burstyn is still a force to be reckoned with.

Which brings in the Catholic themes. The nurse approaches a sympathetic priest, discussions about exorcisms, possessions, the priest going to the bishop and his advisory board of clergy, their sympathy, but because it was not a strictly Catholic situation, the priest is asked not to participate.

Which means that this is very much an ecumenical/interfaith look at possession and exorcism. With the priest absent, but having given her the text of the ritual, the nurse leads in the exorcism attempt, the local minister, the parents, present and praying. The non-believing Victor, because of the sadness of his wife’s death, is desperate, has sought out Chris MacNeil, but is rather overwhelmed by the exorcism experiences.

The priest’s sympathy gets the better of his orders from the bishop and goes in to participate as well. Not a good outcome. Again, it is Ann Dowd as the nurse who sums up the themes. While the issue is one of belief in God and evil, in its diabolical forms, she states that, experiencing the group coming together, the important thing is collaboration in belief, shared belief.

Audiences interested in exorcism themes have been given plenty to think about. Audiences for whom exorcisms are exotic and/or irrelevant, may well dismiss it out of hand, as was done with the original. And there are mixed feelings as we leave the cinema, some joy, some sadness – and, for Exorcist cinema buffs, a moment of pleasure with the final credit.