There have been many great horror movies to be released this year, such as Longlegs, MaXXXine, Trap, Abigail, Azrael etc. However, there have also been some flops. In fact, one of 2024's most infamous cinematic horror flops has just made its way to Shudder. What movie are we talking about, you ask? Well, it's the supernatural horror flick The Exorcism starring Oscar winner Russell Crowe.
Now, listen. We love Crowe and believe he's an amazing actor. However, this movie just isn't his best work. It might just be the worst movie he's ever starred in. People were initially looking forward to this film since his previous supernatural horror movie, The Pope's Exorcist, did well and was entertaining to watch. But they were completely let down by The Exorcism.
I mean, there's just so much wrong with this film. From the poorly written script and dialogue to the predictable plot and subpar acting and to the unconvincing special effects, this movie should've never been made if this is what turned out to be the end product.
I know what's considered scary can be subjective, but I feel like anyone who watches this film will quickly recognize that it lacks any real scares. It's just not scary enough. Jump scares are supposed to create a sudden shock or surprise for the audience, but they're so predictable in The Exorcism and might I say laughable. Instead of building genuine suspense and fear, this movie relied too much on cheap jump scares, making the viewing experience even more disappointing.
To sum it all up, The Exorcism is a boring horror movie with pacing issues. If you have absolutely nothing to do or need something to play in the background while you're working, then you might consider watching it. But if you're looking for a genuine horror experience, we recommend watching The Exorcist (1973), The Conjuring (2013) and The Wailing (2016).
The Exorcism centers around a troubled actor who starts to fall apart while filming a horror movie. His estranged daughter questions whether he is reverting to his old addictions or if something more sinister is going on. Crowe stars as the troubled actor, Anthony Miller, while Ryan Simpkins plays Anthony's daughter, Lee Miller. The rest of the cast is made up of Sam Worthington, Chloe Bailey, Adam Goldberg, Adrian Pasdar, and David Hyde Pierce.
In addition, Joshua John Miller directed the film from a screenplay he co-wrote with M. A. Fortin. They previously collaborated on the horror-comedy The Final Girls, co-writing the script together.
Discover why critics are calling it one of 2024's worst horror movies via Rotten Tomatoes:
"As the film sinks into its unholy final act, production hell really comes into full view and we watch in horror as those must have in the nightmarish editing suite, trying to make sense out of nonsense."Benjamin Lee
"Despite Crowe’s commitment to going balls-out nutso in the role, the film unravels, a casualty of slap-dash plotting, lazy directing and a reliance on tired Catholic horror tropes."Wendy Ide
"While “The Exorcism” deceives its audience into thinking it will be a well-constructed film with its admittedly impressively shot opening scene, all that follows is either cliché, dull, or both."Cody Dericks
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