Unholy New Horror Movie, Now Streaming, is Compelling Audiences to Watch
There’s been something of a Russell Crowe horror renaissance as of late. I’m not sure whether anyone else is paying attention, but I certainly am. Unhinged, the 2020 theatrical casualty? Fantastic, one of the best thrillers in years, and Crowe’s, well, unhinged lead performance is a huge reason why. The Pope’s Exorcist? Incredible. That film, despite seeming like some throwaway slop, was a stylish, assured Italian-horror-coded throwback with plenty of guts, gore, and laughs. So, I was naturally looking forward to this summer’s The Exorcism. Not only was Crowe attached as the lead, but Scream scribe Kevin Williamson was listed as a producer. Plus, the concept seemed pretty novel—a possession while filming a movie about an exorcism. I did not like it. At all. Still, The Exorcism has possessed audiences, and you can now catch the film streaming free online.
Per Shudder: Russell Crowe stars as Anthony Miller, a troubled actor who begins to unravel while shooting a film, making his daughter wonder if it’s his past addictions or if something else is at play.
I try to find the best in everything I watch, and broadly, there was stuff I admired within Joshua John Miller’s (son of The Exorcist’s Jason Miller) metatextual riff on possession fare. Still, the streaming film was tonally inconsistent, at times queasily exploitative, and more damningly, boring when it should have been kinetic. In my two-star review from earlier this year, I wrote, “The jump scares work, and for all the familiarity, the production angle adds texture to otherwise mundane material. Yet, by the time Crowe’s Anthony is bending over backward, hurling all manner of insults at the cast and crew, The Exorcism feels like not just one, but two movies I’ve seen a hundred times before.”
That hasn’t stopped fans from eating the film up. I can’t be too mad, either, since while I wasn’t a huge admirer of the film, it’s far from the worst of what the year has had to offer. If you’re scrolling Shudder and just looking for something to put on, you could do a lot worse. Plus, as I already mentioned, the Russell Crowe renaissance is always worth supporting.
Online, fans have had a better time. The praise is sometimes faint—some viewers simply report having a “good time”—though the general consensus is more positive than the critical reception. You can check out some choice online reactions below:
I watched the exorcism with Russell crow last night it was really good ?
— chad taylor (@bongripper42084) October 31, 2024
These are two different movies.
— Horror of Chris (@TheHorrorOfChr1) November 15, 2024
The Popes Exorcist was kinda fun and is getting a sequel. The Exorcism I didn’t love. Strange he did two possession movies in a row. ?♂️
Watching The Exorcism on Shudder tonight…this is pretty good too!
— Juan R. (@jruvy66) November 17, 2024
What do you think? Were you a fan of The Exorcism? What else is worth checking out on Shudder? For J-horror fans, a ton of great new titles have been added, as has a whole slate of old BBC ghost stories. Shudder is the place to be, though once you’re finished there, pop on over to Twitter @Chadiscollins and let me know what you think!
Categorized:News
