Exorcist: The Beginning

Habilement tourné, avec de beaux décors et une composition détaillée qui met l'accent sur la couleur de l'image. Mais ce qui se passe là-bas... ça dépasse l'entendement. Un mélange catastrophique de motifs usés, en particulier les traumatismes nazis, et les formules les plus dégoûtantes pour susciter le dégoût, rappelant même une vieille daube eurotrash. Sans Stellan Skarsgard, en qui vous croirez n'importe quoi, cela ne mériterait même pas ces misérables 2 étoiles. (07/11/2004)

"God is not here today, priest!" Prompted by the production company, the bloody Renny Harlin replaced 90% of Schrader’s psychological material, resulting in a B-grade exorcism film where the scariest thing is the appearance of hyenas not far from those in The Lion King (the 1994 version). It includes familiar elements like flies, possessed gymnastics, and Pac-Man-colored contact lenses, aiming to make the stomach churn and induce vomiting. The final exorcism even drifts into other genre territories, but as a one-time entertainment piece on the theme of “Don’t turn Jesus into an antagonist,” it’s sufficient for the undemanding. It’s a pity that we don’t need to worry about Father Merrin. It’s clear from the start that he won’t die and will find faith, or else he wouldn’t be iconically standing in front of houses under the streetlamp. (29/09/2023)

It's already discouraging that the film is conceived to ride on the wave of popularity of the first and already legendary The Exorcist, but it only succeeds very sporadically. The huge amount of poorly done effects (terrible hyenas) was surprising and seemed quite strange for a big production. On the other hand, it's not surprising from good-old Harlin, who seems to have undergone a brain operation in the new century. He can't direct actors and doesn't know what to do. Several scenes are good, the lighting work deserves attention, but in terms of the screenplay, the new Exorcist is quite uneven and the ending is nonsense. (18/05/2008)

I love the original The Exorcist and consider it the best horror film of all time. Its sequel... Um, how do I put this... I hate the sequel. Except for The Beginning, which has some distinct pluses (and it's a prequel). First of all, the setting - 99% of the plot (i.e., everything except the flashbacks) takes place in Africa, where you have the feeling that some mystical evil is lurking around every corner. Second, Stellan Skarsgård. Thirdly, Harlin's direction, which doesn't play at anything innovative and, where it can, copies Friedkin's tried-and-true and impressive style from the original film. Fourth, the rawness, the gore and the generally dense atmosphere that runs through the film. Bottom line: I'm satisfied. Although it's not like the original film (because nothing is). (11/01/2010)

Exorcist: The Beginning is simply something that builds on a great movie and a not-so-great series, and it creates its own mythos, which, to be fair, isn't entirely bad and it works. Unfortunately, the connection to World War II in this case felt very gratuitous, and the plot could essentially do without it. Although, Stellan's character gains another dimension through it, and Father Merrin remains the most intriguing character. (17/02/2015)