The Exorcism is the latest film where we see Russell Crowe battling demonic entities. In the film we follow Crowe as he plays the role of Tony an actor trying to get things right in his life again. Tony has been battling internal demons for some time now and wants to save the last relationship he has. He also is looking to get back into acting with a new opportunity in a possession film. We follow as his worlds will clash in a truly haunting mediative piece into addiction.

The Exorcism is shot well and really gives us some impressive cinematography. The movie is very moody with its source material and its choice of color palette elevated this more. Cinematographer Simon Duggan does an incredible job at lighting these dark scenes in a way that makes the scenes stand out more and not just get overlooked. The cinematographer also recently worked on Furiosa, and their distinct eye is seen throughout their work. Of course, with horror movies it can be tricky into trying to light something while trying to conceal things for scares, but they do a great job of balancing the two. In the film, The Exorcism‘s moody lighting helps to enhance the scares and atmosphere that builds.

Russell Crowe as the lead is great here as the tormented Tony trying to get his daughter back and his life. Crowe never fails to deliver, and The Exorcism is no exception. There’s a lot of range that the actor delivers from the beginning to the very end. Crowe’s demon is relentless and crass which caused some shock in some scenes. Although this film deals with supernatural horrors it also dives deep into real substance abuse nightmares. Crowe is able to juggle these two different horrors very well up until the final word. The rest of the cast is great as well with Ryan Simpkins playing the daughter of Crowe who has a very complicated relationship with her father. It was great to see how they showcase this very complicated father and daughter relationship throughout. Chloe Bailey plays the star of the film (within the film) and although we don’t get much of their character they still manage to deliver in the moments when needed. Adam Goldberg as the very demanding and rude director was one of the more memorable aspects of the film.

The film’s story in balancing the demonic presence as well as the internal demons Crowe’s character faces was new and refreshing. We’re used to these possession films taking over someone older or younger. The fact that Crowe is the one being plagued by the demonic force was interesting to watch. However, I feel the movie doesn’t feel the confidence at times to really get deep and dark with its subject matter. It sometimes feels as though we are getting to the meat of it, but then it sometimes cuts away. I’m not sure if this is something with visions clashing on set but it could be felt at times in the pacing. We really don’t get the full picture of what exactly is going on and some cuts can feel disorienting like there’s a chunk missing. I’m not sure if a director’s cut exists, but it sure feels like it at time.

Overall, I feel The Exorcism is a great step into a new direction for possession films. The film has some interesting substance behind it and the actors all are great with what they are given. A beautifully shot film with some very haunting imagery throughout. It does lack when it comes to pacing and telling its story at times, however. A couple of weird cuts and dizzying continuity may make it a bit frustrating at points. It still manages to stick its landing with a climatic final battle and great ending.

We give The Exorcism a 2.75/5.

The Exorcism is out now in theaters!