The Exorcism of Emily Rose

A tedious battle between science and faith set in a courtroom. It’s a pretty long film – by the end I was looking at my watch – the events in the courtroom are quite boring because they are very predictable (you can figure out exactly how the case will develop and what the verdict will be). What is a little bit better are the flashbacks showing a still alive Emily. The entire film has three mildly scary scenes, very little for an almost two-hour runtime, which is a real shame because they are very effective and intense. Formally speaking, there’s not much to reproach: the actors handle their roles perfectly, the characters don’t do anything stupid and the direction is good enough. 70% (19/01/2008)

Scott Derrickson kicks William Friedkin's ass with the exorcism scene alone, but the positives don't end there. It is true that the courtroom intrigue is routine, but it’s not going to offend the more modest viewer, and thus the film’s main asset is the actual rendezvous with the forces of darkness. It’s filmed so perfectly that the producers of any ghost story remakes should get a little technical training from Derrickson. Derrickson does good work with the camera, music, and sound, meaning that many passages are very pleasantly chilling. Of the actors, the famed Tom Wilkinson clearly carries the film, but it's Jennifer Carpenter's creation that makes my chin drop. It's unfortunate about the cautious approach to the Church itself, more controversy would not have been a bad thing. Although it is a fact that it’s better this way, rather than poser shouting into the dark, as we see elsewhere. The result is a surprisingly clever and skillful film that won't cause you to have sleep problems, it will in a sense please you. (22/07/2008)

A fine courtroom drama with an interesting and attractive premise, from which I will only remember the absolutely brilliant ten-minute or so scene of the actual exorcism of Emily Rose. It doesn't let you breathe and becomes a clear highlight of scenes of this kind, including The Exorcist. (02/12/2005)

Surprisingly very decent. If it weren't for the corny phrases during the "horror" passages, I would even dare to use the word authentic. It helps a lot that the point of the film is not about scares, but rather about the reconstruction of the trial with Father Moore and a rather interesting dilemma about whether to believe the facts or admit the supernatural. The atmosphere is dense, and it’s really a pity that the film tries to evoke the impression of the devil's existence in a nickel-and-dime way, without any invention. (01/04/2008)

This unorthodox horror film is elevated by the decent performances and Christopher Young’s excellent music. A few eerie shots, especially in the first half, successfully try to establish a sense of mounting tension and dread, but as the trial comes into focus, we are no longer watching the ghost story we expected, but an ambitious psychological drama that tries to impress the viewer as much as possible with the fact that this actually happened. But that doesn't change the fact that Scott Derrickson is obviously a very skilled filmmaker who can portray even a trial more than engagingly, and the film, despite its length, passes like water. And I mustn't forget to highlight the performance of Jennifer Carpenter, whose gestures and tortured looks really gave me chills and who managed to increase the momentum and authenticity of this unpolished work. (05/07/2011)