The Exorcism - Film Review

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Directed by Joshua John Miller, The Exorcism is 93 mins long and will be in Cinemas 13 June 2024. Starring Academy Award-winner Russell Crowe, Ryan Simpkins, Sam Worthington, Chloe Bailey, Adam Goldberg, and David Hyde Pierce, the film is shot as a movie within a movie. It opens with an actor practising his lines, mapping out his scenes, when he feels a presence, and things go horribly wrong. Inspiration for the film came from director/co-writer Miller's childhood. His father Jason Miller played the doomed Father Karras flinging himself out a window in 'The Exorcist'. He told his son (the director of this film) stories of unusual events that plagued the production and how cursed the film was. The lore of a 'cursed film' has captivated Joshua Miller and his writing partner M.A. Fortin, ever since, and The Exorcism was born.

Anthony (aka Tony) Miller (Russell Crowe) is a troubled actor of mature years, trying to resuscitate his career. His estranged 16 year old daughter Lee (Ryan Simpkins) has just landed on his doorstep, having been suspended from her boarding school. It's not a comfortable reunion, but deep beneath the surface, both father and daughter want to reconnect and have a relationship. Beyond all odds, Tony manages to land the lead role of a priest in a supernatural horror film about an exorcism, and as Lee is footloose and fancy-free, Tony gets her to work as his production assistant (PA) on his film. And so it begins.


Tony was a big star in his time, but when he lost his wife to cancer, things declined and he was left battling the demons of drugs and alcohol. On top of that, a childhood trauma haunts him, but he is determined to resurrect his career. Aware of his addictions, the director of the film (within the film), Peter (Adam Goldberg), aims for authenticity and provokes Tony to force him to confront past traumas to accelerate and give weight to his performance. Turns out it wasn't really necessary as unsettling events unfold and things take a dark turn. Watching her father's decline and mood swings, Lee turns to the film's priest advisor (David Hyde Pierce) for help, as they try and work out if Tony is back to his old addictions, or if something more sinister is at play.

Not Russell Crowe's first rodeo dancing with the devil, and interesting enough to see the actors and characters playing in both worlds - the movie and the movie within the movie - while keeping them apart at the same time. It would have made a good dramatic film as the possibilities were all there. Between the father and daughter relationship, a daughter coming of age and finding herself, grief, and childhood trauma, there was plenty of meat to flesh out and really build emotively to keep the audience engaged and take the movie to its full crescendo and it does that in the beginning. Some of the scary moments between father and daughter could have really taken flight had it been pushed that little bit further. Instead, it falls short just when it begins to build by resorting to a few jump scares and tropes to bring the horror. The ending is cliche and falls short of the strength it started with.


The real drawcard of the film is Crowe's undeniable talent and his absolute command in the film, and the wonderful performance put in by Simpkins who plays his daughter. Sam Worthington in an easily forgettable role was merely a filler and his appeal to the audience wasn't taken full advantage of. The setting wasn't opulent as it was in Crowe's other movie as The Pope's Exorcist, but the set was taken full advantage of and made a worthy backdrop for a moody atmosphere. However, when push comes to shove, the many layers of an intriguing premise weren't fully utilised. Still, pretty engaging and atmospheric to watch.



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