The Exorcist

Reviewed By Steve Kochems

I don’t want to be one to hate on classic horror films, but I’ve got to be honest with myself and you're all here. The Exorcist was a movie that everyone has heard about and probably seen. It’s revered for lines like “your mother sucks dicks in hell” and the gruesome appearance of a young girl possessed by a demon. The promise of the premise (as it’s called) is certainly worth watching and lives up to the rumors, but people neglected to mention that it doesn’t come until about 90 minutes into the film.

I’m going to avoid any synopsis here because like I said, most everyone knows what this movie is about. But in my most recent required viewing for Film Genre, I found myself twiddling thumbs on many occasions early in the film. Director William Freidkin really could have used a better editor. There’s no reason for us to spend almost 12 minutes at the start of the film in Northern Iraq following a priest who doesn’t appear again until the end of the film. That whole scene could be shown in less than two minutes and probably give more information than we get in those ten. 

Instead, the film only grazes the surface of Father Karras (Jason Miller), who seems to be the only possible protagonist available to us. Had we followed him from the start and his relationship with his dying mother, we could understand more why the ending is as good as it is. It would make the first act feel much more focused if we stayed within their town, watching Karras dealing with the guilt of his mother’s death and the growing demon inside of Regan (Linda Blair).

That being said, the final 30 minutes is really some of the best cinema available. It’s just a shame that it comes after so much other flab. Had things been more focused earlier to lead into the incredible ending we are given, the film would have simply blown me away as both a truly terrifying film and a well written one.

I’m really disappointed because I was extremely excited to see this film, not just based on its reputation but because the only other film I had seen by Freidkin was Bug, which is also the only film I have ever walked out on. I suppose it makes sense now.

2 out of 5