Movies News Talk
The Exorcism, the recently released supernatural horror movie starring Russell Crowe, has caused some ambiguity. Though Jason Miller, the father of The Exorcism director Joshua John Miller, starred in the supposedly cursed 1973 horror picture, I'll start by clarifying the film isn't a sequel to The Pope's Exorcist nor is it directly related to The Exorcist. All that aside, The Exorcism isn't entirely different if only because it investigates manufacturing issues resulting from anything diabolical, in line with The Exorcist supposedly being cursed.
Crowe turns in a strong manner as Tony Miller, a former alcoholic and disgraced actor attempting to make ends meet and re-connecting with his daughter Lee (Ryan Simpkins). Working with the erratic director Adam Goldberg, Tony triggers his past trauma—his abuse as an altar boy, alcoholism and guilt linked with the illness and death of his wife—when he takes a job playing Father Arlington in the fictional horror film The Georgetown Project (formerly the title). Though its last act twists what was, at one point, an unpleasant horror movie, The Exorcism is mostly about atonement.
Crowe does an amazing job of making Tony deeply guilty. He wonders aloud in confession if his will to improve would ever be able to eclipse the suffering he inflicted in the past. He cannot shake it. Though Tony is finally possessed by the very demon in The Georgetown Project, The Exorcism makes clear that he is haunted by his past at every turn; his role as Father Arlington brings him ever closer to it, making him vulnerable to possession, though that's less scary than the very human mistakes and emotions he feels.
Of the movie, these components are the most interesting. Crowe gives a performance that makes The Exorcism interesting even if its idea runs out of steam and a very gimmicky conclusion almost throws all the character work out the window. We are meant to sympathize with a man who feels the most regret for the damage he inflicted. Apart from a hostile Goldberg, Crowe is the only person in the entire movie to make me feel anything or care about what is occurring. They were more like afterthoughts even as the Horror components grabbed hold.
The Exorcism is provocative and poignant when caught in the reaches of atonement. But it nearly collapses everything in its last third to become a full-fledged nightmare, erasing all that preceded. Though the ensemble, particularly Chloe Bailey's Blake, whose underdeveloped and underused Blake puts all of their effort into making it believable, I could not take the exorcism seriously. The narrative loses appeal and power when it veers toward the supernatural components of its horror. It denigrates all that came before by avoiding a closer character study for simple demonic thrills.
Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans have a strong score that transforms events into haunting ones. But in terms of shocking us, it is also doing much of the heavy work. The scares themselves hardly really register. The Exorcism asks us to consider whether Tony is relapsing or if he is possessed, but it too literally answers that issue, choosing a full-fledged exorcism the horror picture could have done totally without. It also stops Tony's backsliding and expansion entirely. When the screenplay presents a simple path out, what good is character development?
Joshua John Miller directed the Supernatural Horror picture The Exorcism. Russell Crowe plays Tony Miller, a tormented actor haunted by his past who encounters a demonic force while shooting a horror movie. Along with Ryan Simpkins, Adam Goldberg, and Chloe Bailey, the movie features.
The Exorcism investigates subjects of faith, atonement, and the power of the past. Combining psychological Thriller with otherworldly horror, the movie produces a thrilling and terrifying environment. Critics gave the Exorcism conflicting opinions; some praised Crowe's acting and the first character development of the movie while others attacked its predictable finale and change from a psychological thriller to a more conventional horror movie.
Filming a Supernatural Horror movie, troubled actor Anthony Miller starts to fall apart. Lee, his estranged daughter, questions whether he is returning to his former addictions or if something more terrible is underfoot. Tony starts to see terrible images and unsettling situations as he explores the realm of the horror movie further. Tony and Lee are left to face a terrible entity that could swallow them both as the boundaries between truth and fiction gradually blur. Offering a terrifying and exciting trip into the realm of the supernatural, the movie investigates guilt, atonement, and the power of religion.
Long after the credits have rolled, you will still find resonance in the Exorcism. For horror buffs, its excellent performances, clever scares, and provocative ideas make for an interesting and disturbing viewing.