The Exorcist III

A surprisingly good film that certainly doesn't put the original to shame (unlike the second one). Story-wise, it's a bit of a combination of The Exorcist and The Medusa Touch, but who cares when George C. Scott is so great and the atmosphere is so cool! (13/06/2021)

Quite a superb sequel that doesn't dull the events of the first one and chaotically rape them like the second film, but cleverly develops them in a neo-detective framework. The only thing that doesn't work so well for Blatty as a writer and director, namely the pacing, is made up for by perhaps all the remaining horror attributes – the atmosphere of the setting (in this case mainly a mental hospital), the convincing actors and the inventive staging in the form of a series of often symbolic shots. Some scenes, like the one in the confessional booth, surprise even today with their creativity and even black-humour dimension, and when it comes to explicit horror moments, it's both period and timeless genre gold. I'm talking about the gore effects at the end, and then the film's biggest scare, which is probably truly the best 'jump-scare' in cinema history – if I hadn't heard about it beforehand and knew approximately when it was coming, I'd probably shit myself. A very nice surprise that isn't so much spoiled by the slower final act and a couple of overdone moments that want to compete with William Friedkin's symbolism somewhat awkwardly. An absolute must for horror fans just for the brilliant static sequence in the hospital corridor, when the director really prepares us like a pig for slaughter. 80 % (12/01/2022)

It’s nice that William Peter Blatty took a completely different path and, even without its connection to the initial movie, The Exorcist III could have been a piece on its own. It was even conceived that way in its genesis. George C. Scott is a powerful lead actor and the whole picture nearly entirely stands on his charisma. Blatty managed to shoot a couple of really impressive horror scenes, for example the carefully constructed sequence in the hospital corridor, which is the highlight of the film. However, out of a bad habit, the director couldn’t totally remove himself from his writer side and let the characters recite long arduous monologues and philosophical stances, during which the original story fades away and disappears somewhat. When, on top of that, the studio enters the game and adds the whole storyline with Nicol Williamson along with the exorcism, the viewer then seriously starts to feel lost. I would personally like it if this film was not related to The Exorcist in any way and was called Legion like the novel it is based on. (24/05/2020)

Where Richard Burton fails, George C. Scott excels and shows how great of an actor he was. But it is also due to the fact that this film has a much more interesting script than the sequel. This is a story that will interest and scare you. That's very good. The series has gained a new shine that is not very dull. However, you must not expect something similar to the first movie. This is different and I am glad for it. (14/05/2015)