Synopsis
Years before Father Merrin helped save Regan MacNeil’s soul, he first encounters the demon Pazuzu in East Africa.
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Cast
- Stellan SkarsgårdFather Lankester Merrin
- Izabella ScorupcoSarah Lesno
- James D'ArcyFather Francis
- Julian WadhamMajor Granville
- Remy SweeneyJoseph
- Andrew FrenchChuma
- Antonie KamerlingLieutenant Kessel
- Ben CrossSemelier
- Alan FordJeffreries
- Ralph BrownSergeant Major
Recommendations
- 50
Chicago Tribune
The movie goes too far on too little motivation - and the middle section, with its maggoty villains, roiling skies and native revolts, seems almost barmy. Yet Exorcist: Beginning does score a small victory. It's not as bad as you'd think. - 50
Los Angeles Times
A perfectly mediocre horror film. There is some hoot-inducing dialogue and cheesy effects, but the film's workmanlike narrative marches gamely forward, managing a handful of respectable scares along the way. - 50
New York Daily News
Nothing fails like bad horror. But it's not despicable. It is merely boring. - 40
Variety
Earns points simply for not being bad enough to leave a stain on the screen. Unfortunately, this annoyingly disjointed shocker stumbles badly after promising early scenes, and quickly devolves into a chaotic blur of underdeveloped characters, illogical transitions and standard-issue scary-movie tropes. - 40
Film Threat
A horror movie that starts off decently but quickly falls victim to cliché. It is, ultimately, a disappointing genre entry, and one that falls far short of the original’s greatness. - 40
Village Voice
The gooseberry Harlin came up with will win no proselytizers, but it does have a pleasant matinee modesty, a cool sepia-period look, and an interesting flashback relationship with Nazis. - 30
The Hollywood Reporter
The scariest thing about this film is how desperate the makers are to earn a scream. - 30
The New York Times
The risible dialogue, the bulging eyeballs, the heaving bosoms, the digitally rendered hyenas and squirming maggots, the movie fails to achieve the status of the instant camp classic. That's partly because the vibe of the film is too torpid.
