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Exorcist: The Beginning

Play trailer 2:14 Poster for Exorcist: The Beginning R 2004 1h 54m Horror Play Trailer Watchlist
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10% Tomatometer 131 Reviews 27% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
Father Merrin is haunted by his experiences in World War II, when occupying Nazi troops forced him to be complicit in their atrocities. In the aftermath, he has renounced his faith and begun working as an archaeologist. He travels to Kenya, where a fifth-century Byzantine church holds ancient relics. There he encounters Sarah, a doctor and concentration camp survivor. The strange occurrences that soon begin reunite him with the evil he sought to escape.
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Exorcist: The Beginning

Exorcist: The Beginning

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Critics Consensus

A mediocre, gory horror film, nowhere near the quality of the 1973 original.

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Critics Reviews

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Namrata Joshi Outlook Jan 7, 2019
2/4
The sfx in the climactic duel with the Devil is cheesy to say the least and the Devil's makeup render him more laughable than scary. On the face of it, the dice is loaded heavily against the movie. Go to Full Review J. R. Jones Chicago Reader Feb 27, 2007
The serious Catholic themes that made the original film genuinely disturbing have been flattened out into a cartoonish backstory pitting Merrin against Nazi storm troopers. Go to Full Review Time Out Jun 24, 2006
Reams of tedious exposition finally give way to a random jumble of horror movie clichs, rising to a shrill pitch of hysteria that is never remotely frightening. Go to Full Review James Croot The Post NZ Oct 7, 2022
2/5
One of the most pointless prequels of all-time. Go to Full Review Nigel Floyd The List Apr 22, 2019
1/5
Leaving aside the folly of making a prequel to William Friedkin's 1973 horror classic, this fails on every level. Ninety minutes of tedious exposition give way to a random jumble of horror clichés that rise to a shrill pitch of hysteria. Go to Full Review Dorothy Woodend The Tyee (British Columbia) Aug 24, 2017
Unlike the first film, in which audience members fainted and threw up, the showdown between good and evil prompted more laughter amongst the audience than terror. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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B P @Bradster69 Sep 1, 2026 Not Bad, but Not My Favorite See more diogo13 T @Tua_mera Jul 11, 2026 Era melhor ter parado no clássico mesmo... Que filme chato See more thiago S @Thiagostone Jun 8, 2026 Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom See more Linkin E @LinkZuh Dec 13, 2025 It Was Okay. Just Your Typical Horror/Paranormal Prequel Film. This Was The 4th Film Of ‘The Exorcist’ Franchise/Trilogy. And It’s Named/Titled: ‘Exorcist: The Beginning (2004)’. Directed By Renny Harlin. See more Anthony V @Asv4k8 Sep 11, 2025 This is so underrated. Yes it's different from the first exorcist, but it's definitely meant to be more thriller / horror / suspense. In my opinion it's better in some ways. It deserves better, a more adult Indiana Jones if you will. The ones ranking this need to re-evaluate it not based on the first exorcist but in its own right. I think if you give it a shot you'll find it up with the likes of the original alien and predator movie sans some of the effects. See more Alexander S @RT61935749 Feb 17, 2025 Although its poor structure could’ve potentially supported decent storytelling for a prequel, Exorcist: The Beginning is plagued with jump scares and a dull plot that makes this poor excuse for a horror film easily forgettable, even for a potential guilty pleasure. Grading: D See more Read all reviews
Exorcist: The Beginning

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Cast & Crew

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Renny Harlin

Director

Stellan Skarsgård

Father Lankester Merrin

Izabella Scorupco

Sarah

James D'Arcy

Father Francis

Remy Sweeney

Joseph

Julian Wadham

Major Granville

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Exorcist: The Beginning

Exorcist: The Beginning: Trailer 1 Exorcist: The Beginning: Trailer 1 2:14 Now Playing View more videos
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Exorcist: The Beginning

ALAN FORD and JAMES DÕARCY in Morgan Creek Productions' prequel to "The Exorcist," "Exorcist: The Beginning," distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. STELLAN SKARSGÅRD in Morgan Creek Productions' prequel to "The Exorcist," "Exorcist: The Beginning," distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. STELLAN SKARSGÅRD in Morgan Creek Productions' prequel to "The Exorcist," "Exorcist: The Beginning," distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. JAMES DÕARCY and STELLAN SKARSGÅRD in Morgan Creek Productions' prequel to "The Exorcist," "Exorcist: The Beginning," distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. REMY SWEENEY, JAMES DÕARCY and IZABELLA SCORUPCO Director RENNY HARLIN and cinematographer VITTORIO STORARO on the set. STELLAN SKARSGÅRD in Morgan Creek Productions' prequel to "The Exorcist," "Exorcist: The Beginning," distributed by Warner Bros REMY SWEENEY and STELLAN SKARSGÅRD in Morgan Creek Productions' prequel to "The Exorcist," "Exorcist: The Beginning," distributed by Warner Bros. STELLAN SKARSGÅRD and ANDREW FRENCH STELLAN SKARSGÅRD, IZABELLA SCORUPCO and REMY SWEENEY View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Father Merrin is haunted by his experiences in World War II, when occupying Nazi troops forced him to be complicit in their atrocities. In the aftermath, he has renounced his faith and begun working as an archaeologist. He travels to Kenya, where a fifth-century Byzantine church holds ancient relics. There he encounters Sarah, a doctor and concentration camp survivor. The strange occurrences that soon begin reunite him with the evil he sought to escape.
Director
Renny Harlin
Producer
James G. Robinson
Screenwriter
William Wisher Jr., Caleb Carr, Alexi Hawley, William Peter Blatty
Distributor
Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co
Morgan Creek Productions
Rating
R (Gore|Disturbing Images and Rituals|Language|Some Sexual Dialogue|Strong Violence)
Genre
Horror
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 20, 2004, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
May 7, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$41.8M
Runtime
1h 54m
Sound Mix
SDDS, Dolby SRD, DTS, Surround
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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