Exorcist: The Beginning

2004
R
1h 54m

IMDb RATING

5.1/10

41K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

Play trailer1:24

Horror Mystery Thriller

In 1947, having abandoned his faith, Father Merrin joins an archaeological excavation in Kenya, where an ancient church has been unearthed and something much older waits to be awoken.In 1947, having abandoned his faith, Father Merrin joins an archaeological excavation in Kenya, where an ancient church has been unearthed and something much older waits to be awoken.In 1947, having abandoned his faith, Father Merrin joins an archaeological excavation in Kenya, where an ancient church has been unearthed and something much older waits to be awoken.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

5.1/10

41K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

4,666

669

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 6 nominations

Trivia
Both William Peter Blatty and Paul Schrader were nearly thrown out of this film's premiere for loudly laughing during the screening.

Goofs
(at around 1h 19 mins) Father Gionetti gives Father Merrin a copy of the Rituale Romanum (Roman Ritual). (The administration of exorcism is in Title X of the Rituale Romanum.) The title of the book embossed on its leather cover is "Roman Ritual", in English. Later in the film (at around 1h 35 mins), Father Merrin asks Joseph to help him by reading passages of the book, and we are shown a couple of printed pages, the text of which is also in English. The Rituale Romanum would have been printed in Latin in 1949, when the film is set, because vulgar translations of liturgical texts were not authorized until the promulgation of the Sacrosanctum Concilium (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy) by Pope Paul VI on 4 December 1963, as part of the Second Vatican Council.

Quotes
Sarah: [Possessed] He
[God]
Sarah: doesn't care about this whore. But you do... because you want to shove your rotten cock up her juicy ass!

Connections
Edited into Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist (2005)

Soundtracks
Call to Prayers
Composed by Robert J. Walsh
Courtesy of FirstCom Music

User reviews346

Review

Featured review

5/10

Not scary enough and way too slow

In 1949, the British army has stumbled onto a buried Byzantium church in Kenya. The church's date is too early and shouldn't exist. Merrin (Stellan Skarsgård) is a former priest who suffered a traumatic war experience. He's called in to help with the archaeological dig. Father Francis (James D'Arcy) is sent in by the Vatican, and Sarah (Izabella Scorupco) is also trying to escape the horrors of WWII.

This is simply not a scary movie. That's the biggest and really the only measuring stick for a horror movie. At almost 2 hours, it's way too long. The pace is way too slow. The look of the production seems smaller than what the budget would indicate.

The feel of the movie hearkens back to the 70s, and not in good way. Horror movies have moved on, but this one still believes that flies are scary. The CGI is not the best. The blood and guts are acceptable. The baby with maggots looks creepy. But other times, the movie holds back too much. The coyote attack should have been scary, but it's never given a chance. It's just not good enough for today's audience.