The Exorcism – Movie Review
Director: Joshua John Miller
Writer: M.A. Fortin, Joshua John Miller (Screenplay)
Cast
- Russell Crowe (Sleeping Dogs)
- Ryan Simpkins (Fear Street Part Two)
- Sam Worthington (Avatar)
- Chloe Bailey (Jane)
- Adam Goldberg (Dazed and Confused)
- David Hyde Pierce (The Perfect Host)
Plot: A troubled actor begins to exhibit a disruptive behavior while shooting a horror film. His estranged daughter wonders if he’s slipping back into his past addictions or if there’s something more sinister at play.
Runtime: 1 Hour 33 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: The Exorcism starts when recovering actor Anthony Miller (Crowe) takes a new acting role in a horror film. He is playing a priest performing an exorcism and trying to reconnect to his estranged teenage daughter Lee (Simpkins). Once the shoot starts, Anthony must recapture his past screen presence and director Peter (Goldberg) pushes him to his limits.
However, off set Anthony starts showing a different side. He struggles to contain himself and Lee sees him acting strange. Is Anthony struggling with his addictions or is the curse around the movie taking over?
Verdict on The Exorcism
The Exorcism is a horror thriller following a troubled actor working on a horror movie. He is trying to overcome his addictions, but while filming a new obsession starts to consume him, causing ripple effects in his life.
This movie takes the idea that certain movies are ‘cursed’ through the production process. It starts by balancing the concept of a cursed movie and addiction return creating an unsettling character. We also see the ruthless side of Hollywood, where the show must go on whatever happens. The relationship between father and daughter adds plenty to the troubles involved. This blends to give us a unique take on the possession movie and one that offers a surprisingly public appearance by the evil figure.
Russell Crowe gives us a disturbing performance which becomes more unsettling as the movie unfolds. David Hyde Pierce is great to see, while Ryan Simpkins and Chloe Bailey bring the younger characters to life with ease.
Where to Watch
The Exorcism will be in UK Cinemas from 21st June
Final Thoughts – The Exorcism is disturbing and unsettling.
4 replies on “The Exorcism (2024) Movie Review”
Always great reviews…not sure what Crowe’s career path is right now…
He is leading a lot of movies and giving us some interesting characters. Sure he isn’t in the awards conversation but seems to be enjoying himself
I’m sure they are paying well but I’d love to see something more substantial – we watched “L.A. Confidential” the other night and boy is he great in it!
Great reviews as always. I don’t think that I will watch this film mainly because of the leading actor. Russell Crowe is one of those actors that has lost his ability to captivate audiences over time. No longer the movie-star he once used to be, Crowe has chosen to appear in disposable B-movies. There was once a time in the past when he was a fantastic actor known for his award-winning roles. For instance, I admired his turn as a roman gladiator in “Gladiator”. However, the actor’s career has since faced a steady decline. His latest film “The Exorcism” is a clear sign of that decline.
Here’s my thoughts on “Gladiator”:
https://huilahimovie.reviews/2024/05/19/gladiator-2000-movie-review/