News

When you purchase through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Hulu is definitely one of the most underrated streaming services out there as it is one of the biggest streaming services in the world but it doesn’t have as much flashy content as its other counterparts like Netflix or Prime Video. If you are a horror fan, then you will find many great shows, including the long-running anthology horror series American Horror Story. So, here are the best horror shows you should check out right now.

Grotesquerie Credit – FX

Grotesquerie is a crime thriller horror drama series created by Ryan Murphy, Jon Robin Baitz, and Joe Baken. The FX series follows Detective Lois Tryon as she teams up with Sister Megan, a local nun, to investigate the mystery behind a heinous crime that is affecting their community and their personal lives. Grotesquerie stars Niecy Nash-Betts, Courtney B. Vance,...

The third film in a horror franchise often carries the weight of high expectations and franchise fatigue. However, some horror “threequels” break the mold, delivering scares, thrills, and fresh twists. Here are ten of the best horror movie threequels that deserve your attention.

1. A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)

Director: Chuck Russell

This third instalment reinvigorates Freddy Krueger with a mix of dark humour, creative dream sequences, and a cast of characters who fight back. It’s a fan favourite for good reason.

2. Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)

Director: Tommy Lee Wallace

Although it departs from Michael Myers entirely, this standalone entry is a cult classic in its own right. Its eerie plot about a sinister mask company and haunting jingle makes it a unique entry in the Halloween franchise.

3. The Exorcist III (1990)

Director: William Peter Blatty

Returning to the chilling tone of the original, this sequel...

The holidays wouldn’t be the same without a feel-good comedy to help warm your chestnuts by the fire. Thankfully, Hulu is here with a heartfelt comedy about family, frustrations in parenting, and feeling like the best gift includes stepping up to the plate for loved ones in need. Directed by David Gordon Green, Nutcrackers stars Ben Stiller and Linda Cardellini. Today, Hulu shared a Nutcrackers trailer to make your heart grow two sizes bigger.

Nutcrackers follows strait-laced and work-obsessed Mike (Stiller) as he is suddenly thrust into being a caregiver for his rambunctious, orphaned nephews. The foursome is more than Mike can handle while finding them a new home, and he’s quickly learning that if you can’t beat them, join them. As the group gets closer, Mike discovers a part of himself he’s never known, brought on by the daily chaos and shared sensation of grief.

Will the Oscars answer “Conclave’s” prayers?

Edward Berger’s mystery thriller has been one of the buzziest films to emerge from the fall festivals. Adapted from Robert Harris’ 2016 novel, the film premiered at Telluride, where it received raves from attendees. Since then, its awards prospects have grown, especially following its Audience Award wins at the Mill Valley and Middleburg fests. Those regional accolades helped propel future best picture nominees such as “American Fiction” (2023) and “Belfast” (2021) and best picture winner “Green Book” (2018). “Conclave” has popular appeal, but will its religious themes be an advantage or a potential hurdle in the Oscar race?

Read: You can see all Academy Award predictions in all 23 categories on one page on the Variety Awards Circuit.

Rossellini with “Conclave” director Edward Berger

Films that explore issues of faith, and the Catholic Church’s tangled history, have long held a unique place in Hollywood. Critics, and sometimes audiences,...

Getting a film made is far easier said than done. That's why most Hollywood movies are based on pre-existing material -- both to try and speed up the process of generating a story itself, and to have some assurance that there's an audience for the story. This mentality has led to truly original movies becoming something of a rarity. Truth is, Hollywood has always looked to existing IP (intellectual property).What's new about today's situation is that the IP they're generally tapping tends to be of a short-form or experiential variety: either remakes, reboots, and legacy sequels to older movies, or TV shows, comic books, and video games.

In the early decades of cinema, however, the main source for adaptations was literature. Where comics, games, TV and other movies are all visual mediums and come pre-loaded with their own imagery, books are a covenant between the author and reader's imagination,...

The Exorcist is a horror staple, and a Halloween essential.

The franchise began with William Peter Blatty‘s 1971 horror novel, inspired by the 1949 exorcism of Roland Doe. The 1973 film adaptation became one of the most critically acclaimed movies of all time, spawning multiple sequels and prequels.

The films have grossed over $661 million at the worldwide box office, and have garnered varying degrees of critical acclaim.

We’ve rounded up every movie in the Exorcist franchise, and ranked them from lowest to highest based on Letterboxd reviews.

Find out which movies in The Exorcist franchise are the best…...

A film historian might argue that the modern notion of the "blockbuster" wasn't born until 1975. It was that year that Steven Spielberg's "Jaws" was booked to open in hundreds of theaters simultaneously, a practice that was still uncommon at the time. In so doing, "Jaws" essentially created the "opening weekend," a notion that Hollywood is still enamored of to this day. Additionally, "Jaws" ramped up the marketing blitz, flooding advertising spaces with the "Jaws" logo. Giant commercial entertainments haven't been the same since. "Jaws" kicked the door down.

Of course, two years before, "The Exorcist" had already helped get that door unlocked. It wasn't opened as widely as "Jaws," but "The Exorcist" had staying power. It opened the day after Christmas in 1973, and ran in theaters continuously for 105 straight weeks. It has the biggest Christmas opening weekend of all time, only beaten by "Titanic" 34 years later. The world, it seemed,...

The Exorcist is my choice for the best horror movie of all time. Some may say Rosemary’s Baby or The Shining or Night of the Living Dead, but as a good Catholic boy, nothing has ever gotten under my skin the way William Friedkin’s original did. But, with great success comes the desire for Hollywood to make a hit into a franchise, but Friedkin was not a franchise director. He famously turned down French Connection II, but the studio, perhaps noticing how the second French Connection turned out decently, decided to go ahead and turn it into a franchise. Still, the results, with one notable exception were a disaster. So without any further adieu, here’s our list of Exorcist movies ranked – from worst to best.

Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977)

So, worst is a degree here rather than a black-and-white fact. All of the Exorcist sequels – with that one...

The true heir to William Peter Blatty and William Friedkin’s 1973 masterpiece, The Exorcist III is returning this Halloween with a brand new 4K restoration from Arrow Video.

Arrow Video brings The Exorcist III to 4K Ultra HD in the United Kingdom on October 7, and Bloody Disgusting is exclusively debuting the trailer for the new restoration today.

The personal vision of Blatty (the acclaimed author of The Exorcist), The Exorcist III is set 15 years after the events of the first film and sees Lieutenant Kinderman investigate a series of horrific murders that follow the modus operandi of the notorious Gemini Killer… who died several years earlier in the electric chair.

After his friend Father Dyer (Ed Flanders) is murdered in his hospital bed, Kinderman’s investigations lead him to ‘Patient X’, a psychopath housed at the same hospital who claims to be the Gemini Killer, and who knows intimate crime scene details.

What an excellent day for another Exorcist…Or is it? For a second there we thought David Gordon Green had killed the franchise for good after last year’s disastrous The Exorcist: Believer. And while his intended trilogy was axed and he was removed from any future projects in the series, it has already been resurrected courtesy of Mike Flanagan. And Flanagan has big plans for his Exorcist film.

Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Mike Flanagan said he has a lot of goals with his yet-to-be-titled The Exorcist entry – and one of them is to make it as scary as possible. “We aren’t making this easy on ourselves…But I’ve always felt that there’s no point in going into a franchise or into a property that monolithic unless there’s something new you can bring. I chased The Exorcist very aggressively because I was convinced I...

Evil is a supernatural horror drama series created by Robert and Michelle King. The CBS and Paramount+ series follows Psychologist Kristen Bouchard as he reluctantly teams up with David Acosta, a priest in training to investigate unusual occurrences that have no logical explanation. Evil stars Katja Herbers and Mike Colter in the lead roles with Michael Emerson, Christine Lahti, Andrea Martin, Maddy Crocco, Aasif Mandvi, Peter Scolari, and Patrick Brammall starring in supporting roles. So, if you loved the thrilling story, horror elements, and compelling characters in Evil here are some similar shows you should check out next.

The Exorcist Credit – Fox

The Exorcist is a supernatural horror drama series created by Jeremy Slater. Based on the 1971 horror novel of the same name by author William Peter Blatty, the Fox series serves as a sequel to the 1973 film of the same name and it follows two priests as they team...

A while back, Arrow Video gave a Blu-ray release to the most popular sequel in the Exorcist franchise, The Exorcist III, in the UK. Now, the company has announced that they’ll be upgrading The Exorcist III with a 4K release on October 7th – and on that same day, they’ll also be releasing a Blu-ray of the least popular film in the franchise, Exorcist II: The Heretic. The Exorcist III can be pre-ordered on 4K at This Link. The Exorcist II: The Heretic Blu-ray is available at This Link, but keep in mind, this is a UK release, so you might need a region free player to watch the Blu-ray in other areas. If you’d prefer to get The Exorcist III on 4K with its original artwork, Arrow Video has you covered at This Link.

Here’s the info on Exorcist II: The Heretic: From John Boorman,...

Arrow Video is set to deliver a thrilling array of horror films to the UK this Halloween season. Fans can anticipate the release of two versions of Exorcist II: The Heretic, Exorcist III in 4K, the darkly humorous anthology Trick ‘r Treat, and a seven-film J-Horror limited edition collection.

Exorcist II: The Heretic

Directed by John Boorman, Exorcist II: The Heretic is a visionary thriller that defies expectations with its unique approach. The film stars Linda Blair, Louise Fletcher, and Richard Burton, and features breathtaking cinematography and a standout score by Ennio Morricone. Following the exorcism that saved Regan MacNeil (Blair) and caused the deaths of two priests, Regan’s therapist, Dr. Tuskin (Fletcher), believes her memories are simply repressed and waiting. Father Philip Lamont (Burton), tasked by the Vatican to investigate Father Merrin, finds himself drawn into a spiritual battle that spans from Africa to New York and Georgetown.

Does anyone remember the Satanic panic? It was a bizarre mix of urban legend, conspiracy theory, media frenzy, and religious fanaticism that occurred primarily in the early 1980s. The phenomenon was marked by thousands of alleged incidents of ritualized abuse, often involving children, and desecrations reportedly perpetrated across the nation by scores of so-called Satanic cults in towns and cities everywhere. While many of the reports were later found to be baseless—and the initial investigative techniques used to supposedly substantiate them discredited—the aftermath of the panic remains with us today in the shape of things such as QAnon and PizzaGate.

The roots of the Satanic panic were found in the late 1960s and ‘70s, thanks to books like The Satan Seller, social changes like the rise of the counterculture in the national zeitgeist, infamous events like the Manson Family murders, the introduction of new religions into American society,...

Scary movie villains are super important to horror films. Whether they’re crazy killers or creepy ghosts, these bad guys always keep us on the edge of our seats! They bring out our deepest fears and make us feel major dread the whole time. Even though they’re usually really gross and unsettling, some of the best horror movie villains have this weird coolness to them too.

The most iconic villains really stick with people. We can’t stop thinking about them, even after the movie is over. Their scary images get embedded in our brains and come out in our nightmares and Halloween costumes. A lot of times, the villain overshadows the hero and becomes the main attraction for horror fans. They want to see the bad guy more than the good guy!

This list celebrates 15 villains that totally changed horror movies and became super well known. Some are...

The Exorcist directed by William Friedkin and written by William Peter Blatty is considered, still, perhaps the greatest horror film of all time, certainly the most popular. The 1973 movie was even nominated for 10 Oscars and won two, unheard of in the genre at that time. It has been endlessly imitated for the past half century right up to now, recently and notably David Gordon Green’s critically reviled 2023 reboot The Exorcist: Believer, which even brought original Exorcist star Ellen Burstyn back into the fold after all these decades. But the Og is impossible to touch, so what was going through Joshua John Miller’s mind when he decided to take on a new film so closely linked to it?

Director and co-writer (with M.A. Fortin) of The Exorcism, Miller has the 1973 film in his family bones, even if he wasn’t born until a year after its release. His father is Jason Miller,...

Russell Crowe Photo: Vertical There’s a killer premise and some good acting buried inside The Exorcism. Based, in part, on the urban legends and real-life tragedies surrounding the production of The Exorcist, the film boasts an eye-witness source. Director Joshua John Miller, son of Jason Miller, who played the...

Russell Crowe

Photo: Vertical

There’s a killer premise and some good acting buried inside The Exorcism. Based, in part, on the urban legends and real-life tragedies surrounding the production of The Exorcist, the film boasts an eye-witness source. Director Joshua John Miller, son of Jason Miller, who played the...

Horror Maestro Mike Flanagan’s reimagined The Exorcist film will hit theaters on March 13, 2026, Universal announced Tuesday. Put another way, this isn’t the devil you think you know.

Blumhouse and Morgan Creek’s plans for a trilogy of new The Exorcist films was derailed with the poor and polarizing response to last year’s The Exorcist Believer, directed by David Gordon Green.

Flanagan, whose credits include The Haunting of Hill House, Midnight Mass, Gerald’s Game, Doctor Sleep and the new The Fall of the House of Usher has created an entirely new narrative nightmare that is not a sequel to any previous Exorcist film and that charts a new course for the film franchise.

The film will be produced by Flanagan’s longtime collaborative producer Trevor Macy (The Haunting of Hill House, Midnight Mass) for Intrepid Pictures, by Flanagan for his Red Room Pictures, and by Jason Blum (Five Nights at Freddy’s,...

Mike Flanagan began his filmmaking career in 2011 with "Absentia," a Kickstarter-backed horror movie about a pregnant woman whose missing husband mysteriously returns after an unexplained seven-year absence. He gained mainstream attention with 2013's "Oculus," a gripping horror film about a haunted mirror that technically takes place almost entirely in one room. Then, in 2016, Flanagan offered the one-two-three punch of "Hush," "Before I Wake," and the mainstream sequel "Ouija: Origin of Evil." He was now a recognizable force in the horror community.

Flanagan gathered a huge fanbase with his subsequent adaptations of several famous horror novels. In 2017, he adapted Stephen King's "Gerald's Game" into an excellent feature film. In 2018, he turned Shirley Jackson's "The Haunting of Hill House" into a TV miniseries. In 2019, he made "Doctor Sleep," a convoluted ghost story based on King's sequel to "The Shining." Most recently, he adapted Edgar Allan Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher...

Earlier this month, horror mastermind Mike Flanagan was announced as the new heir apparent to the "Exorcist" franchise, assuming the reins from David Gordon Green in what's being described as a "radical new take" on the truly scary source material. Little is known about the "Haunting of Hill House" and "Midnight Mass" creator's plans for the long-running property, but at the annual Atx festival in Austin today, Flanagan spoke frankly about the pressure of crafting a new story in the shadow of one of the most frightening tales ever told.

"For 'The Exorcist' specifically, I'm f**king terrified," Flanagan admitted at a panel attended by /Film's Ryan Scott. A spotlight on adaptations titled "From Book To Script To Screen," the event also featured a number of other panelists, including the executive producers behind AMC's "Interview with the Vampire," ABC's "Will Trent," Netflix's "Black Mirror," and the Apple TV+ series "Silo.

In December of 1973, two movies that would change the face of horror and the ways it dealt with religion and spirituality were released. One was an instant hit, immediately changing the landscape of the genre forever. The other was severely cut by executives who simply did not understand it and unceremoniously slapped into the B-picture slot on double bills with Don’t Look Now, where it seemed to die a quick death. Over time, it grew from an underground cult discovery to a genre-defining masterpiece. The former is, of course, William Friedkin and William Peter Blatty’s The Exorcist, which remains a terrifying and inimitable masterpiece. The latter is Robin Hardy and Anthony Schaffer’s The Wicker Man, a truly remarkable film that became a flashpoint for an emerging subgenre—Folk Horror. Though both films deal in religion, The Exorcist and The Wicker Man could not be more divided in their approach to the subject.

Between The Nun II, Sister Death, Consecration, the upcoming The First Omen, and the newly released Immaculate, starring Sydney Sweeney, it’s safe to say that nuns are having a moment in horror. So often, fear thrives in the unlit nooks of the unknown, and for many of us, that includes those who dedicate themselves to religious orders. Shrouded in intrigue and literal fabric, the combo of unwavering religious devotion and rejection of various worldly pleasures makes nuns ripe for genre exploration. While nuns are certainly trending, this is by no means the first time horror has blessed us with terrifying tales featuring such religious women.

In Häxan (1922), possessed nuns mingle with witches as director Benjamin Christensen explores the connection between mental health and mass hysteria. With movies like Alucarda (1975), Ms. 45 (1981), and St. Agatha (2018), the subgenre of nunsploitation comes into play to further explore themes of religious and sexual oppression.

David Gordon Green, the filmmaker behind Universal’s Halloween trilogy and The Exorcist: Believer, is leaving horror behind to direct a family drama starring Ben Stiller about a man connecting with his unruly nephews after a tragic accident claims their parents’ lives. The feature-length project is a hard left turn at Albuquerque for Green, who’s spent most of his recent filmmaker career bringing Halloween’s Michael Myers and William Peter Blatty’s Exorcist back to the horror fold. Is Green leaving horror for good, or is Nutcrackers a breath of fresh air before he returns to the bloody and brutal genre?

On Wednesday, Rivulet Films, Rough House Pictures, and Red Hour Films announced that Linda Cardellini, Edi Patterson, Tim Heidecker, and Toby Huss have joined Ben Stiller in the film based on a script by Leland Douglas.

Nutcrackers follows the work-obsessed Mike (Ben Stiller), who must reluctantly travel to...

Some horror properties naturally lend themselves to incessant sequels, while others seem to will themselves into existence through sheer will, as if they’re the result of a demonic possession. William Friedkin’s The Exorcist, while over 50 years old, is still considered to be one of the scariest movies of all-time. Various Exorcist sequels and even a two-season television series have materialized over time. However, none of these projects generated the same level of skepticism that accompanied Blumhouse’s announcement that they’d be producing not just a legacy sequel to Friedkin’s original film, but an entire trilogy, directed by David Gordon Green. Green had just pulled off a similar spectacle with his Halloween legacy sequel trilogy, yet Michael Myers’ slasher antics are much more conducive to this formula than repeated returns to The Exorcist’s MacNeils.

2023’s The Exorcist: Believer chronicles two girls who disappear in the woods and return,...

Director William Friedkin and producer/screenwriter William Peter Blatty enjoyed having fun with Warner Bros. executives during the production of “The Exorcist.” The Oscar-winning horror masterpiece celebrates its 50th anniversary Dec. 26 “We always put them on,” Friedkin told me in a 2018 L.A. Times interview “They were always concerned that we were both crazy and would eventually implode the movie. So, we staged blowups in front of them, where it looked like we were fiercely arguing over the most minute, meaningless details.”

“The Exorcist” was shot in Iraq, New York City and Georgetown in Washington, D.C. But Warners wanted the film to be made at the studio in Burbank and to “shoot day for night, so we didn’t get into night shooting,” said Friedkin, who died this past August at 87.”I I said ‘no’ to everything, I said things like ‘Why shoot day for night? Why don’t we...

Every year brings new Christmas movies with their often plentiful and phony Christmas cheer. In fact, most of the recent ones released on streaming—such as 2023’s less-than-esteemed bunch—seem designed expressly for their disposability. They’re content as sincere as polyester Christmas roping strung around the company’s copier in the back. You’re meant to watch them with one eye on the phone, and no Christmas Spirit in your heart.

But there was a time, dear reader, when a Christmas movie could be a truly magical thing: an emotional and cathartic experience shared with strangers in a darkened theater that would make you believe in the true meaning of Yuletide as if you were Ebenezer Scrooge on the glorious Christmas morning following the visit of three ghosts. And then some… some Christmas movies made you feel more like Scrooge the night before. Alone. In the dark. Staring at...

Following the success of their Halloween trilogy, writer/director David Gordon Green and Blumhouse re-teamed to tackle another esteemed horror property: The Exorcist.

The Exorcist: Believer possesses home video with an audio commentary by David Gordon Green, co-writer Peter Sattler, special makeup FX designer Christopher Nelson, and executive producer Ryan Turek, among other extras.

Here are 15 things I learned from The Exorcist: Believer commentary…

1. The film’s opening soundscape is inspired by a meditation app.

The film’s opening logos are accompanied by droning sounds inspired by calming music on a meditation app that Green uses.

“I am a fan of the mid-afternoon meditation shutdown, and I listen to a little app that’s full of singing bells and chimes and little brain cleansers, so I thought nothing better for our brainwaves than to open our movie with some of the same.”

‘Brainwaves’ was also the code name adopted for the production.

Uncover the bloody and beating heart of film history with The Exorcist Untold – an electrifying new documentary that delves into the legacy and influence of this groundbreaking, revolutionary and revered masterpiece.

On the 50th anniversary of one of the most legendary and influential horrors of all time, Robin Bextor (Oppenheimer: The Real Story) sheds fascinating new light in The Exorcist Untold. The documentary is set for its home entertainment bow this December, arriving on DVD and digital on 11th December 2023, courtesy of Reel 2 Reel Films.

The Exorcist is a cultural phenomenon that changed the face of cinema, paving the way for numerous films that followed in its terrifying footsteps. It continues to haunt and captivate audiences and its legacy can still be seen across the cinematic sphere today, 50 years on.

By exploring the motivations of the creators, the genesis of this pivotal film and the historical and cultural contexts...

The episode of The Test of Time covering Exorcist II: The Heretic was Written by Andrew Hatfield, Narrated by Niki Minter, Edited by Mike Conway, Produced by John Fallon and Tyler Nichols, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.

Here at Test of Time, the whole idea of the show is to look at a classic, either objectively through critical praise, box office revenue, or even things like reputation or cult classic status. The three of us, writer Andrew, narrator Niki, and editor Mike like to discuss what we think about whatever the movie is and have fun with it. Shouldn’t this be able to work in reverse though? What about a movie that is seen as bad? Shouldn’t it be looked at through a different lens via time and what we know now? Maybe a bad movie stays a bad movie but what if a reappraisal alters the opinion?...

Genres films are often overlooked by academy voters and none more so than horror. Horror films have been a cornerstone of cinema since the inception of the format with George Méliès‘ “Le Manoir du Diable” often considered the first horror movie. Since then, we’ve had hundreds of important horror movies including “Nosferatu,” “Psycho,” “Rosemary’s Baby,” “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” “Halloween,” and “The Shining.” These have all influenced not only the horror genre but the film industry at large in one way or another. Yet, we’ve only had six films nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars in Academy Awards history. Let’s take a look at them.

The first horror film ever nominated for Best Picture was William Friedkin‘s “The Exorcist,” which follows Max von Sydow‘s priest trying to rid a 12-year-old girl of the entity possessing her. The film made a big, bloody splash at the 1974 Academy Awards,...

Peacock announced on Friday that The Exorcist: Believer, the first in a new trilogy of films based on the 1973 horror classic, The Exorcist, will debut exclusively on the platform on December 1, there joining titles like The Black Phone and Five Nights at Freddy’s, among many others.

Hailing from Universal and Blumhouse, Believer introducers viewers to Victor Fielding, who, since the death of his pregnant wife in a Haitian earthquake 12 years ago, has raised their daughter Angela (Lidya Jewett) on his own. But when Angela and her friend Katherine (Olivia Marcum) disappear in the woods, only to return three days later with no memory of what happened to them, it unleashes a chain of events that will force Victor to confront the nadir of evil and, in his terror and desperation, seek out the only person alive who has witnessed anything like it before: Chris MacNeil.

Oscar winner...

The 1973 classic The Exorcist (watch it Here) is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary with a 4K release and a theatrical re-release… and fifty years after it first reached the screen, there are still new things to discover about it. In early October, filmmaker Paul Davis took to social media to share a snippet of actress Eileen Dietz’s Pazuzu makeup test, where she was shown wearing makeup designed by the legendary Dick Smith. Davis promised he would be releasing a commentary video including10 minutes of unseen outtakes and the full 2 minute makeup test video on Halloween – but when Halloween arrived, he delivered more than promised, revealing 35 minutes of rare outtake footage! You can check it out at the bottom of this article.

Based on a novel by William Peter Blatty (pick up a copy Here), who also wrote the screenplay, The Exorcist was directed by William Friedkin and tells the following...

Now that David Gordon Green has sent another horror franchise to hell with The Exorcist: Believer, the time is right this Halloween for Awfully Good Movies to tackle one of the most awfully good sequels ever made… Exorcist II: The Heretic!

While the late William Friedkin and William Peter Blatty were hellbent against any follow-ups to their seminal horror classic, the suits at Warner Bros. felt otherwise and rolled camera on a follow-up four years later from another prestige filmmaker, John Boorman, despite Boorman passing on the first film and calling it a “repulsive” tale about “child abuse”. So instead, Linda Blair returns as Regan MacNeil one last time to fight the satanic demon nipping at her heels once more, thanks to a mind synchronization device that is just the tip of this sequel’s deeply insane iceberg.

Whether it’s a visibly drunk Richard Burton as the new priest...

Spoiler alert: this ranking of every movie in the "Exorcist" series concludes with the first film, William Friedkin's 1973 masterpiece about demonic possession and the battle between good and evil, in the top position. Sorry. There was no other way. And it wasn't even close. When the /Film horror braintrust determined the order, it was a runaway. Not a contest. 50 years after it shocked audiences around the world in its initial release, the film remains a triumph of not just horror cinema, but cinema in general. Hundreds of movies have chased it. Very few have even come close to matching it. It's one of the best movies ever made.

But the rest of the series? That's where the debate gets interesting. "The Exorcist" was followed by two divisive initial sequels, both of which have developed a following over the decades. And then there were the two (!) prequels, each of which...

Despite multiple red herrings, clues, and characters like Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn) blaming Pazuzu for the dual possessions haunting The Exorcist: Believer, the entity responsible is actually a very different demonic figure from Mesopotamian lore: Lamashtu.

While the demon can be barely glimpsed in a quick flash on screen, makeup effects co-designers Chris Nelson and Vincent Van Dyke give a closer look at their stellar work via Instagram.

The Exorcist: Believer, now available on Digital, frequently makes callbacks and ties to the original film by writer William Peter Blatty and director William Friedkin. Moreover, it frequently alludes to Pazuzu as the one behind the mysterious disappearance, reappearance, and subsequent possessions of young girls Angela (Lidya Jewett) and Katherine (Olivia O’Neill). It seems reasonable that the demon first encountered by Father Merrin (Max von Sydow) might be back thanks to frequent references and calls for “Mother” and a seemingly intimate familiarity with Chris MacNeil.

“The Exorcist” is, rightfully, heralded as one of the greatest, scariest films of all time. And in the 50 years since its 1973 release, filmmakers have tried, repeatedly, to recapture the magic that made the original film so special, to mixed results.

The latest attempt is “The Exorcist: Believer,” from director David Gordon Green, which returns Ellen Burstyn to the franchise for the first time since 1973 and focuses on a new phenomenon – synchronized possession. It’s meant to be the first of a new trilogy of films. And its release (it’ll be on PVOD on October 24) is enough to have us look back at the entire franchise thus far. Which films are scary good and which are ones that you’d rather spider-walk down the stairs to get away from? Read on to find out.

Warner Bros.

7. “Dominion: Prequel to The Exorcist” (2005)

How troubled was the “Exorcist” prequel movie? So troubled...

Warning: The following contains major spoilers for The Exorcist and The Exorcist: Believer.

Before William Friedkin’s The Exorcist shook movie theaters across the country, a novel of the same name took the literary world by storm. William Peter Blatty’s The Exorcist follows single mother and actress Chris MacNeil who watches in horror as her twelve-year-old daughter Regan becomes possessed by a demon called Pazuzu. After an extensive search for a medical diagnosis, Chris turns to Father Karras, a local priest caught up in his own crisis of faith. The final act sees an elder priest named Father Merrin join Karras in a dangerous exorcism that will cost both men their lives.

Blatty produced and penned the script to Friedkin’s controversial film, earning a Best Picture nomination and an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Though the cinematic version is rigorously faithful to the source material, Friedkin and...

Warning: The following contains major spoilers for The Exorcist (1971) and The Exorcist: Believer (2023).

On lists ranking the scariest movies of all time, William Friedkin’s The Exorcist invariably falls at or near the top. Faithfully adapted from the 1971 novel by William Peter Blatty, the 1973 film stunned audiences with its brutal vulgarity involving then fourteen-year-old actress Linda Blair. The story follows Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn), a mother and movie star who will stop at nothing to protect her daughter Regan (Blair) from a demon called Pazuzu. Coming to her aid, Fathers Merrin (Max von Sydow) and Karras (Jason Miller) perform a dangerous exorcism and lose their lives to the unholy force. In spite (or perhaps because) of the film’s notorious reputation, The Exorcist was a massive hit with box office lines stretching around the block and waves of traumatized moviegoers streaming out after the final credits. Few films since have...

People have come around on "The Exorcist III" in a pretty big way. For a while, it was just the hardest of the hardcore horror nerds stepping up to defend the sequel, much like they did with the wild curveball that was "Halloween 3: Season of the Witch." Both of those movies have been reevaluated and carry substantial fanbases at this point, but it was a long struggle.

"Exorcist III" is a particularly fascinating movie because there were a lot of power struggles during the making of the movie that resulted in different cuts, alternate endings, and a near-takeover by the studio in the wake of lukewarm test screening reviews. This struggle started at the very beginning when the original book's author (and the first film's screenwriter) William Peter Blatty insisted on not only writing, but directing the second sequel.

According to Steve Jaffe, an associate producer on "Exorcist III" and Blatty's former press agent,...

The Exorcist: Believer is now playing in theaters. The first part in a proposed trilogy from Halloween director David Gordon Green and Blumhouse promised to be a direct follow-up to the original 1973 masterpiece, ignoring every single sequel that came before. That’s right, The Exorcist had numerous sequels, the last of which was released almost 20 years ago.

Most of them are… not good. And none of them have come even close to William Friedkin’s original classic. But that’s okay. Because the reality is, nothing ever will.

Let’s rank every single follow-up film (plus the TV series) from worst to best…

6. Dominion: Prequel to The Exorcist (2005)

Is it a controversial take to say that I find the “true” version of the official Exorcist sequel to be an absolute bore? For those not in the loop, Morgan Creek Productions began developing a prequel film that would tell the...

From left: Lili Taylor in The Conjuring (New Line Cinema), Vivien Leigh in Psycho (Universal), Drew Barrymore in Scream (Dimension)Graphic: The A.V. Club

The only thing scarier than the horror movies Hollywood makes are the real-life stories that inspire them. For decades, horror films have thrived by using the...

Despite the amount of horror movies released in September, October seemed like a better time for the genre to get a bump with the latest attempt to revive a horror classic. That wasn’t really the case. Read on for the weekend box office report.

There were indeed some hopes that the David Gordon Green-directed “The Exorcist: Believer” would be the good start for a new trilogy based on the William Friedkin-directed 1973 adaptation of William Peter Blatty’s novel, a major theatrical blockbuster at the time that became a horror classic. Green even brought back Ellen Burstyn from the original movie, joining Leslie Odom Jr., Ann Dowd and Jennifer Nettles, as a continuation of Friedkin’s film.

Despite anticipation for another solid “requel” ala Green’s 2018 “Halloween,” “Believer” was universally panned by critics with an awful 23% on Rotten Tomatoes ahead of its release into 3,663 theaters by Universal. It...

The Exorcist: Believer had no trouble delivering a first-place finish at the weekend box office with an estimated $27.2 million from 3,663 theaters. While a respectable opening in this climate, the R-rated film came in below expectations domestically as it tries to revive the franchise after Universal reportedly paid a hefty $400 million for rights.

Overseas, the pic started off with $17.9 million from its first 52 markets for a global start of $45.1 million.

The David Gordon Green-directed horror pic hits theaters exactly 50 years after the first Exorcist opened and made cinema history, grossing nearly $450 million at the global box office before adjusting for inflation. Directed by William Friedkin, the film was based on the book by William Peter Blatty and starred Linda Blair and Ellen Burstyn.

The Believer recently had to move up its release by one week after Taylor Swift announced that her new concert film, The Eras Tour, will open across the globe on Oct.

This post contains spoilers for "The Exorcist: Believer."

Ever since Father Merrin and Father Karras entered Regan MacNeil's bedroom to perform an exorcism at the conclusion of 1973's "The Exorcist," the endings to each entry within the "Exorcist" franchise have been a point of controversy and contention. In the first film's instance, the priests losing their lives during the exorcism made a lot of audience members and critics confused as to the message of the movie, with writer William Peter Blatty observing that "at that point in the movie, most of the audience is a little out of it." Blatty would run into other ending issues while making "Exorcist III" in 1990, where he was forced to reshoot and add an exorcism sequence into a film that was never intended to have one. As for what's going on during the hectic finales of "Exorcist II: The Heretic," "Exorcist: The Beginning," and "Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist,...

On December 26, 1973, horror fans endured long lines for the theatrical premiere of The Exorcist – a film that’s now considered by many to be the scariest movie ever made. Directed by William Friedkin and based on the bestselling novel by William Peter Blatty, The Exorcist broke box office records in its first week of release. Theater employees reported that moviegoers were passing out, becoming ill, and heading for the exits before the credits rolled because the subject matter was so disturbing and intense.

The creation of the classic horror film, which is the gold standard for movies dealing with possession and the devil, begins with Blatty’s novel published in 1971. Blatty’s story focused on a 12-year-old girl named Regan MacNeil who went from a happy-go-lucky, horse-loving preteen to a foul-mouthed, head-spinning nightmare after being possessed by a demon. Coming to Regan’s rescue were two Catholic priests who eventually...

This post contains spoilers for "The Exorcist: Believer."

If it wasn't for William Friedkin's masterpiece, "The Exorcist," modern horror as we know it today simply wouldn't exist. There are a handful of properties that horror fans view as sacred, and "The Exorcist" is certainly one of them. Then again, John Carpenter's "Halloween" exists on a similar pedestal, and director David Gordon Green not only created a legacyquel trilogy but managed to bring back final girl Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) to connect it to the first film. Now, Green is returning to the world of "The Exorcist," disregarding the canon of sequels and the prequel with "The Exorcist: Believer." The tale sees two young friends, Angela (Lidya Jewett) and Katherine (Olivia O'Neill), simultaneously possessed by demonic forces. Their families are of different backgrounds and faiths, but must now work together to try and save their girls. Single dad...

This article contains The Exorcist: Believer spoilers.

For nearly 20 years, author and screenwriter William Peter Blatty hated the ending of The Exorcist (1973) so much that he could barely speak with its director, William Friedkin. This would have likely struck many as odd considering the film faithfully adapted Blatty’s novel of the same name, and Blatty’s contribution to the work as screenwriter won him an Oscar. But the theatrical ending of that film was made so downbeat by its director—with Father Dyer (William O’Malley) looking at the staircase which stole the life of his best friend Father Karras (Jason Miller)—that many interpreted it as Dyer and the film were thinking none of this was worth it. For years afterward, Blatty was horrified when he encountered moviegoers who told him the Devil won.

Eventually, the director and screenwriter reconciled when the more upbeat and life-affirming final scene...

Even after moving up a week to escape the all-consuming drawing power of Taylor Swift, “The Exorcist: Believer” is thus far holding its own as the key new wide release this weekend. The $30 million-budgeted legacy sequel to the late William Friedkin’s 50-year-old Oscar-nominated blockbuster earned $2.85 million in Thursday preview showings. Barring massive frontloading or unexpected legs, that positions the film for a domestic debut weekend between $25 million and $30 million.

While the film itself cost a reasonable (if high for Blumhouse) $30 million, the overall package deal to nab the rights to the IP went for $400 million. That deal, made in the summer of 2021, seemed to be a byproduct of Netflix throwing around money like it was tissue paper.

Comcast was arguably making a show of saying that it too would spend and spend big on potentially big-deal IP. Recall that Netflix had just spent $450 million on acquiring and producing the...

Could anyone have foreseen the legitimately fascinating trajectory of David Gordon Green's career as a director? After helming gritty, dramatic fare like "George Washington" and "All the Real Girls" as a newbie filmmaker, Green suddenly pivoted hard in the opposite direction, tackling the genre-blending stoner flicks "Pineapple Express" and "Your Highness." He would only branch out further from there, trying his hand at everything from uplifting true-story films ("Stronger") to grounded crime dramas ("Joe"), darkly satirical TV series, and even heavily-fictionalized, anachronism-infested biographical series with big Millennial energy ("Dickinson").

Green has since continued this trend of swerving from one type of storytelling to a radically different one with "The Exorcist: Believer" (read /Film's review), a legacy sequel to William Friedkin's Og "Exorcist" and the follow-up to Green's divisive "Halloween" trilogy. While they may both reside in the horror genre, the gonzo slasher universe of the "Halloween" franchise is...