Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
On the fifteenth anniversary of the exorcism that claimed Father Damien Karras' life, Police Lieutenant Kinderman's world is once again shattered when a boy is found decapitated and savagely crucified.
The Exorcist III is a genuinely underrated horror film driven largely by William Peter Blatty's own vision and George C. Scott's commanding performance as Kinderman. The film builds dread methodically through long, dialogue-heavy confrontations — particularly the chilling exchanges with Brad Dourif's Patient X — creating a psychological horror atmosphere that stands apart from most genre entries. The plot is ambitious but uneven, weaving serial killer procedural elements with theological horror in ways that don't always cohere. Cinematography is competent but unremarkable, relying more on static, claustrophobic framing than visual invention. The ending is famously compromised by studio-imposed exorcism footage that clashes tonally with the film's restrained, cerebral approach, undermining what Blatty intended as a quieter, more tragic conclusion. Novelty is moderate — the film is distinctive in its literary, dialogue-driven tone but remains a sequel operating in established territory.