The Exorcist III - Movie Review

Chris Stuckmann reviews The Exorcist III, starring George C. Scott, Ed Flanders, Brad Dourif, Jason Miller, Nicol Williamson, Scott Wilson, Nancy Fish. Directed by William Peter Blatty.

[yowatchie]

Seriously, I genuinely look forward to this every Halloween season. That VHS intro is easily one of my favorite things for the month.

[fordandk]

One of the reasons that jump scare is so great is because we JUST SAW HER check that room. That's literally the LAST place we would expect a killer to burst out from.

[Ryan-pzdh]

One of my most favorite scenes in Legion: Exorcist III is the dream scene where Kinderman is dreaming that he is in what appears to be Heaven’s train station. He’s surrounded by angels and people who have passed and walks by the murdered boy who’s body he found in an earlier scene. It’s such a cool and serene moment but then my heart drops when he encounters his priest friend and he says to him, “I wonder if we’re having the same dream.” And his priest friend replies, “Oh I’m not dreaming this.”

[Onyxiate]

The Exoricst III is a shining example of how important artists are. It wasn’t a film created in a board room, it was shareholders crafting the most approachable movie they can to bring in crowds - even with the studio interference, Blatty still made his film. He made what he was passionate about, and took interference as more of a challenge to overcome rather than an accessory to drag down his vision. It’s remarkable.

[Lukkern]

Honestly one of the best horror movies ever Imo. Criminally underrated.

[thekidflames]

Absolutely criminally underrated. And even in the scenes where Scott is just CHEWING every bit of the screen up - he’s stellar. Glad Blatty fought for his vision. Cant believe it’s year 11, Chris!

[seancorrigan]

Classic film. George C. Scott was such a beast of an actor.

[xylin]

I always loved the chemistry between George C. Scott and Ed Flanders. The way they bust each other's chops and their general conversations really sell the friendship. It makes the thing that happens to Father Dyer that much more impactful. I could watch an entire movie of those two just talking lol.

[matthewbond]

I avoided this film for years because of Exorcist II. It's now one of my favorite horror films. Big props to Blatty and co for taking the studio notes and actually integrating them into the Legion story in a very satisfying way. Loved it! Thanks Chris!

[sameersiddiqui]

Brad dourif's performance in this is arguably the best performance in any horror movie ever.

[Harryhyde]

That jump scare is THE greatest jump scare. Exorcist 3 is also the second most underrated sequel (Psycho 3 being just barely above it). Great pick Chris and also a wonderful discussion about the film as always.

[tomtudorweaver]

One of my favorite horror films period. It's so cold and brutally harsh without showing much, George C. Scott gives one of my all time favorite performances in any movie. It reminds me a lot of Halloween in the sense that it's a film that tackles the idea of pure evil, but in a much more visceral and lived-in way by showing it through the eyes of a character like Kinderman who has witnessed so much evil in his life from his time as a police officer.

Great breakdown of the jump scare too, I think a big part of why it works is also because it isn't instantaneous, you get just long enough to take it all in. It's just enough for you to get genuinely startled by the sudden camera move which forces you to witness the horror in full, coupled with the music which isn't your abrupt jump scare sound you get today, instead building to what sounds like a wailing banshee, and the time right before it is spent showing that door getting locked, seeing that nightmarish thing burst out is the last thing you expect.

[laertesdd]

😱 The Exorcist III (or Legion, as it should be called) is a masterpiece. Completely underrated gem of the genre. Terrifying still to this day. I have seen a lot of horror movies and am hardened in a way, but even only thinking about some of the scenes in this movie makes my blood freeze.

[laurarader]

Over the years, since Exorcist III was released, I've watched it probably half a dozen times. It never ceases to scare me and engage me with the story line and underlying mystery about it. The well scripted characters and great cast, superb acting, layers of back stories and present scenarios...awesome film. Can't say enough to praise it. Spot on, articulate review, Chris.

[dkev]

I love this movie. I actually just watched it again last night. Brad Dourif is absolutely amazing and his manic to calm changes, as he talks to the camera, come across so effortlessly. It's one of the best scenes in Horror.

[Nick_Scratch]

Chris, I am going through some big shake-ups right now; and the amount of joy & comfort that Halloween special intro brought me was unreal. The rest of the video was fantastic, too. Thank you for being here!

[chocolateapocalypse]

This is the only horror movie to ever make my skin crawl, or get any kind of visceral reaction like that. The scene when the crucifix has fallen to the floor and begins bleeding from its eyes. The camera angle, all the tension leading up to that point, it just all comes together for me. I haven't seen the movie for probably 20+ years but that is seared into my brain, forever. Such a great film!

[VoicesLearning]

This is a cult classic in DC, where I'm from. Saw it in the movie theater. The theater was completely full. And pretty much everyone fell out of their seats when the old lady was crawling on the ceiling.
I've probably seen this movie 100 times. So many memories of rewinding scenes over and over again with my friends watching on the vcr. And even now, getting completely spooked at the hospital scene, the creepy Mary statue, the creepy old lady about the chop off the girl's head, and more!!!!This movie doesn't disappoint--even after all these years!!! Thank you WPB.

[paulao]

This is one of my favorite horror films. I think it's partly due to the relationships in the film, especially the friendship between Kinderman (great name btw) and Father Dyer. The characters are so real! I love the crazy dream sequence and all the subtle scares that make you say, "Wait! What was that?!" Brad Dourif was amazing and now I will have to rewatch the X Files episode you mentioned. I look forward to your annual Halloween specials Chris! 🖤

[antepa]

This movie is extremely underrated. Nobody talks about it because of it's name because they were forced to call it Exorcist 3. It should have been called Legion. Also it's not a horror movie, it's a psychological thriller, just like The Exorcist (1973).