← Back to Reviews
 

The Exorcist III


The Exorcist III (1990) r

I had to keep a little break from the franchise after the second film but time to continue with the rewatches.



Detective Kinderman has troubles with the murders that match the M.O. of the Gemini Killer who was executed 15 years ago. Things get weirder when all of the victims can be linked to an exorcism of one young Regan MacNeil that also happened 15 years ago. His research leads him to psychiatric ward of the hospital and to a patient who looks disturbingly familiar.

The Exorcist III is a neo-noir horror that builds upon the events of the first film but is stylistically very different. Visually it's mostly very beautiful using both colors and camera angles in interesting ways. The scenes in the patient's "cell" are somewhat an exception (I suppose it's hard to make such a small place look fascinating) and Brad Dourif doesn't have enough charisma to carry them alone. Religious imagery is used often and to rather good effect.



Like neo-noir usually The Exorcist III has dark and sad atmosphere. The murders, while never shown, are described by the investigators in very detailed way and their brutality is used to hammer home the sense of despair. The film builds its mood well but the story itself is somewhat weak. The lengthy monologues of the Gemini Killer don't work, the whole idea of his return is pretty stupid, the links to first film seem forced and the end with father Morning's appearance is borderline comical.

Great cinematography and well built forlorn atmosphere but ultimately weak and pointless story result in OK film.