31 Days of Horror- Day 12: The Exorcist III (1990)

(dir. William Peter Blatty)

20th Century Fox

*First time viewing

Set seventeen years after The Exorcist (and ignoring The Exorcist II), this sequel follows police lieutant Jospeph Kinderman as he investagates a series of brutal murders that match the modus operandi of the Gemini Killer, who was executed years before.

We all know that The Exorcist (1973) is an unparalleled classic, not just of horror, but of film in general. We also know that no exorcism based movie has come close to touching it, despite how many films have attempted to imitate it and managed to create serviceable chills of their own. I’d avoided watching The Exorcist III for years, assuming that it would be a poor follow-up to the original, which ultimately feels like a complete experience. No, The Exorcist never needed a sequel, but let me tell you something:  I’ve been missing out on watching this one. The hospital-set Exorcist III is a striking follow-up because it doesn’t try to recapture the original film. Instead does something different by using some of the same characters from The Exorcist and creating an entirely new context for the horror they find themselves in (similar to what the surprisingly wonderful Exorcist television show is doing.) Based on Blatty’s novel Legion, The Exorcist III blends supernatural elements with the serial killer thriller. The central antagonist, the Gemini killer, is a clear reference to the Zodiac killer, but Blatty weaves that historical basis in expertly with the lore of his own design and the mythology established within the original novel and subsequent film adaptation.

For most of the film, the supernatural exists as a background element, while the central plot focuses on Kinderman’s investigations into a series of murders that have left victims beheaded, neatly drained of blood, and mutilated in sacrilegious ways. While Blatty doesn’t show all of the violence directly, the suggestion of it, and the open discussion of it, showcases the change in horror cinema from 70s to the 90s. While the original film was extreme and controversial for its time, it was relatively bloodless. This is of course didn’t deter the horror aspect as the The Exorcist is still one of the most frightening films ever released. The Exorcist III is less subtle in its horror, opting for shock value, but there’s a deliciousness to the way Blatty fetishizes it that the horror is satisfying in its own right, though not quite as mysterious or emotional. George C. Scott takes on the role of Kinderman in this film, and brings a big, masculine presence to the film. While the first film is very much women-centric in its focus on motherhood and female maturity, Exorcist III is overtly masculine in its focus on aging men coming to grips with their faith and lives as they approach their end.

There’s a dreamy sheen that encases parts of the movie like a second skin, a theatrically that overlays the film’s grounded manhunt. When Kinderman meets the mysterious Patient X, a possessed Damian Karras, the portrayal switches between the bodies of actor Jason Scott and Brad Dourif’s Gemini Killer, creating an interesting if somewhat jarring depiction of possession. Dourif gives a schizophrenic performance, his voice changing tones and octaves as he shifts between the Gemini Killer, a mockery of Karras, and Pazuzu. It’s a tremendous performance from an actor who has become a horror icon over the years. These scenes between Kinderman and Patient X have a stage-show quality, feeling somewhat removed from the rest of the film, as if the cell where they talk is only a stand-in for a tight-spaced purgatory. While the discussions between Kinderman and Patient X are largely expository, they’re also fascinating psychological examinations of two men whose concepts of religion and faith never extend beyond shifting personal needs. While the original film supposed that God and the Devil were forces that worked through the human characters, Exorcist III posits some level of human control over the divine.  By the time the film reaches the exorcism near the very end, there’s a very clear sense that this aspect of the film is more plot device than anything. The central conflict of The Exorcist III is a more visceral and physical clash of morality, with the presence of the divine and demonic existing as tools in a battle between two people who would have been enemies regardless.

Scare Factor: 4/5 Watch this in the dark on a late night and you’re bound to be checking your doors several times before bed. The Exorcist III famously features one of the best jump scares in horror history, but the rest of the film surrounding that scene is filled with startling imagery and nightmare fuel. The Exorcist III isn’t only a great sequel, it’s one of the best horror films of the 90s.

Also, watch The Exorcist series on Fox. It's great and if you dig the movies, it ties them together in some really unique ways.