The Exorcist III is directed by William Peter Blatty, the author of the original books. You can tell, and it's to great effect.
Fifteen years on, Detective Kinderman remains haunted by the death of Father Damien Karras after the possession of Regan MacNeil. Now, murders are occurring that fit the M.O. of the infamous Gemini Killer...who also died 15 years ago. Kinderman tries to investigate a hospital where several murders are occurring, and uncovers a matter neither police nor medicine are able to solve.
The film is visibly directed by a literary writer in the best ways. Dialogue feels authentically personable and flavorful, multiple scenes see the Gemini Killer holding the screen for long raving monologues of the type usually not displayed in film (and rarely more than once), and the film's horrific violence is almost entirely implied and described. The first Exorcist got its power from going all the way with scenes that felt unfilmable, but III horrifies the viewer through dialogue, such that we never see the murders being done, or gory bodies. Gore only appears in the climax along with a visual of a murder's aftermath, and it's telling how it almost feels unneeded. The description of the depicted crime is so stark and perfect that the visual confirmation later is exactly what you imagined. I also had major respect for the fact that the deduction Kinderman does with the bodies is depicted onscreen without showing what he sees, but his later description of what he was looking for perfectly illuminates his purpose. We don't need to look closely at the bodies to understand what he was looking at once he discusses the signs he found.
The film is also very emotionally effective and eerie. The hardest-hitting death is introduced in a sinking premonition and then a POV shot as Kinderman heads to the scene. The film contains one of the best-executed Jump Scare scenes in all of horror, but it has plenty of freaky surreal imagery and audio besides to make the film menacing and striking. Brad Dourif is captivating and terrifying as the Gemini Killer, as he has to shift quite a lot within the character and perfectly conveys the smarmy, foul emptiness and charisma of a serial killer with an ego, but George C. Scott taking up the role of Kinderman portrays a gruff, cynical, volatile man with a clear vulnerable and broken side very well.
I think for horror fans, the nature of the murders will be predicted well before it's confimed how the supernatural factors in, but it's still a really good setup to run a story on. The titular exorcist is poorly shoved into the script since he was part of reshoots and has no relationships with any character in the film, but the exorcism climax was ultimately much for the better of the story and the lead characters.
This film is a great continuation from a capable writer and director. It's made for the right reason—to continue theme, not iconography.
Film The only worthy sequel in the series.
The Exorcist III is directed by William Peter Blatty, the author of the original books. You can tell, and it's to great effect.
Fifteen years on, Detective Kinderman remains haunted by the death of Father Damien Karras after the possession of Regan MacNeil. Now, murders are occurring that fit the M.O. of the infamous Gemini Killer...who also died 15 years ago. Kinderman tries to investigate a hospital where several murders are occurring, and uncovers a matter neither police nor medicine are able to solve.
The film is visibly directed by a literary writer in the best ways. Dialogue feels authentically personable and flavorful, multiple scenes see the Gemini Killer holding the screen for long raving monologues of the type usually not displayed in film (and rarely more than once), and the film's horrific violence is almost entirely implied and described. The first Exorcist got its power from going all the way with scenes that felt unfilmable, but III horrifies the viewer through dialogue, such that we never see the murders being done, or gory bodies. Gore only appears in the climax along with a visual of a murder's aftermath, and it's telling how it almost feels unneeded. The description of the depicted crime is so stark and perfect that the visual confirmation later is exactly what you imagined. I also had major respect for the fact that the deduction Kinderman does with the bodies is depicted onscreen without showing what he sees, but his later description of what he was looking for perfectly illuminates his purpose. We don't need to look closely at the bodies to understand what he was looking at once he discusses the signs he found.
The film is also very emotionally effective and eerie. The hardest-hitting death is introduced in a sinking premonition and then a POV shot as Kinderman heads to the scene. The film contains one of the best-executed Jump Scare scenes in all of horror, but it has plenty of freaky surreal imagery and audio besides to make the film menacing and striking. Brad Dourif is captivating and terrifying as the Gemini Killer, as he has to shift quite a lot within the character and perfectly conveys the smarmy, foul emptiness and charisma of a serial killer with an ego, but George C. Scott taking up the role of Kinderman portrays a gruff, cynical, volatile man with a clear vulnerable and broken side very well.
I think for horror fans, the nature of the murders will be predicted well before it's confimed how the supernatural factors in, but it's still a really good setup to run a story on. The titular exorcist is poorly shoved into the script since he was part of reshoots and has no relationships with any character in the film, but the exorcism climax was ultimately much for the better of the story and the lead characters.
This film is a great continuation from a capable writer and director. It's made for the right reason—to continue theme, not iconography.