The Exorcist: Believer is now playing in theaters. The first part in a proposed trilogy from Halloween director David Gordon Green and Blumhouse promised to be a direct follow-up to the original 1973 masterpiece, ignoring every single sequel that came before. That’s right, The Exorcist had numerous sequels, the last of which was released almost 20 years ago.
Most of them are… not good. And none of them have come even close to William Friedkin’s original classic. But that’s okay. Because the reality is, nothing ever will.
Let’s rank every single follow-up film (plus the TV series) from worst to best…
6. Dominion: Prequel to The Exorcist (2005)
Is it a controversial take to say that I find the “true” version of the official Exorcist sequel to be an absolute bore? For those not in the loop, Morgan Creek Productions began developing a prequel film that would tell the story of Father Merrin’s (Stellan Skarsgård) first encounter with the demon Pazuzu. Acclaimed filmmaker Paul Schrader (Cat People, First Reformed) was recruited to direct and it was off to the races with this unneeded horror prequel. There was just one tiny issue: Morgan Creek hated the final product, which they felt wasn’t scary enough for audiences at the time. So they retooled the entire film and shelved this original version until Exorcist: The Beginning bombed at the box office and in critical reviews. In its wake, Dominion was released.
Paul Schrader’s Dominion: Prequel to The Exorcist has a lot of interesting ideas and the film does have its bright spots but I just can’t get over how much of a slog it is to get through. If there’s anything I hate worse than a bad film, it’s a boring one.
5. Exorcist: The Beginning (2004)
Ah yes, Morgan Creek’s retooling of Dominion. For this overhaul they brought in director Renny Harlin (Nightmare on Elm Street 4, The Long Kiss Goodnight) who suggested to the studio that they rewrite the entire script, hire a whole new cast (Stellan Skarsgård stayed), and put more emphasis on gore and action. So what was the result of Morgan Creek essentially remaking the entire film? Probably the nastiest and most mean-spirited film in the Exorcist series.
The Beginning is by no means a good film but I have to respect its commitment to its tone and some of the visuals involving the buried church and upside down crosses are metal as hell. The Beginning also features a completely out of pocket introduction sequence that left me in disbelief the first time I watched it. At the end of the day, we still never got a good Exorcist prequel out of the two-movie experiment, but this one is at least pretty entertaining.
4. Exorcist II: The Heretic
Yes, it was absolutely a fool’s errand to even attempt a follow-up but what we ended up getting is not entirely without merit. Exorcist II: The Heretic has some pretty good ideas and concepts. Sure, its execution leaves a lot to be desired but there’s something to be said for The Heretic exploring human consciousness and the more scientific side of possession. The Heretic follows Regan MacNeil (Linda Blair) in the aftermath of her possession that she has no recollection about. This eventually leads to a visit from Father Lamont (Richard Burton) who is sent to investigate the circumstances of Father Merrin’s death from the original. What follows is a strange blend of religious and scientific beliefs that ultimately culminates in all hell breaking loose.
Notoriously hated at its time of release (supposedly Warner Bros. executives were chased down the street by angry filmgoers), The Heretic remains a fascinating attempt at a sequel.
3. The Exorcist III
It may be called The Exorcist III but this 1990 sequel straight up ignores the events of The Heretic and operates as a follow-up to Friedkin’s film. Originally titled Legion and directed by original Exorcist author William Peter Blatty, the film tells the story of Lt. Kinderman (George C. Scott) as he investigates a series of blasphemous murders that seem to be the work of “The Gemini Killer,” a serial killer who was executed the night of the original The Exorcist film.
The Exorcist III absolutely rules. No matter what version you watch, this third installment delivers on an overwhelming sense of dread and some of the greatest jump scares ever put to film. It’s also worth watching for Brad Dourif’s unhinged performance alone. The Exorcist III didn’t need to be in the Exorcist series, but I sure am glad it is.
2. The Exorcist: Believer
Put down the pitchforks and hear me out. The Exorcist: Believer is the kind of sequel that offers up a thematic companion to the original film. Whereas the original Exorcist is about a mother’s turn to faith out of desperation of saving her demonically possessed daughter, Believer poses the questions of why we as humans turn to fellowship and religion in times of crisis, especially when in the end it won’t matter. Believer is at its best when it’s exploring the human drama that made the original film so great, using familiar set-ups to explore new concepts such as double possession and living life as a skeptic. Unfortunately the film falls apart when it’s forced to be a “legacy” sequel to The Exorcist and ends up regurgitating a lot from the original classic.
For as much as I enjoy this new entry, I can’t help but feel some of these themes and concepts were better explored in our final entry on this particular list…
1. The Exorcist (TV Series)
I know what you’re thinking. ‘Wait, that random TV series that FOX did a few years back?’ Yes, that one. The Exorcist television series is not only a great follow-up to the original film, it’s also one of the greatest horror TV series to ever exist and remains deeply underrated five years after its cancellation. The series follows a pair of Catholic priests, Father Thomas Ortega (Alfonso Herrera) and Father Marcus Keane (Ben Daniels), as they investigate and exorcise cases of demonic possession. At first the series seems like a reboot of sorts to the saga, but it’s eventually revealed that it is in fact a sequel to the original film and ties into it in multiple meaningful ways.
If you haven’t seen The Exorcist series, I highly implore you to watch it immediately. It’s scary as hell with fantastic storytelling and one of the greatest twists/reveals in modern horror.
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