Horror movies have long been a vehicle for exploring and discussing uncomfortable subjects. Jaws and Alien explored the hubris of men. Zombie films provide commentary on consumerism and nationalism, and slashers comment on the objectification of women. Possession movies, at least the ones I've watched, invariably touch on a lack of personal autonomy and control, a person submitting to their inner demons or exterior devices. The catharsis of this last group resolves itself for the audience by the possessed character becoming unpossessed. They free themselves from their addiction, their relationship, their past, etc. 

 

In a world where so much influence is exerted on the population, it is not a mystery that possession movies have persisted. We all have witnessed or experienced the power of addiction. The Exorcism, directed by Joshua John Miller, is the latest addition to this category. Miller, whose father Jason Miller played Father Karras in the most outstanding entry, The Exorcist, approaches his take on the possession film differently. 

 

The Exorcism is rightfully labeled a horror film. But to call it a conventional horror film would be disingenuous, and to call it just another possession film would be trite. Miller has crafted a dramatic theater production masked as a scary movie. The true horror here is not the inexplicable demon possession of a broken man but facing and reconciling with his horror and how his addiction has filled his life.

 

This film is meta-commentary; sometimes it works, but sometimes it holds back. Russell Crowe plays Anthony Miller, an actor who battles alcoholism and is working to regrow his acting profile after a spectacular fall from grace. He takes on a role as a priest in an exorcism film, replacing the original actor hired after he mysteriously dies on the set. Keen audiences will pick up the meta facets very quickly.

 

Simultaneously, Miller takes in his daughter, Lee (Ryan Simpkins), after she is kicked out of school. Anthony, or Tony as his daughter refers to him, works to repair their strained relationship by bringing Lee onto the set with him as a production assistant, having her help him run lines, and introducing her to the players in the film industry. There is an alluded past that references Anthony's wife/Lee's mother, her death, and the fallout of that event that generated the rift between Anthony and Lee in the first place. These softer moments in The Exorcism work to separate this film from the horror subgenre it will automatically be lumped with. 

 

The pacing of The Exorcism may be frustrating for some viewers, given its short 95-minute runtime. There is not a lot of horror in it. This film flows more like a play, a character study of the toll addiction wields on someone and the exhausted responses for those people that it affects. 

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David Hyde Pierce charms as the on-set priest, who acts as Anthony's consultant for his character. Sam Worthington shows up as another cast member but is frankly wasted in his more minor role. Adam Goldberg was a pleasant addition playing the film director, Peter, who constantly and rather sadistically pushes Anthony in Kubrick-like side-bars between takes. Chloe Bailey's Blake becomes a friend and confidant to Lee. This cast fills the gaps nicely; Crowe's and Simpkins' performances are the true strength. When the two leads are so convincing and authentic that one might forget this is happening in a horror picture, something special happens. 

 

This film is well-lit and smartly made on a technical level. But does it work on a horror level? It rather does not. I previously mentioned its meta-presentation. The self-referential package will deeply distract those expecting horror while it deeply wades into dramatic waters.

 

There is some fun to be had with the meta-nature of this film. The nods to The Exorcist (1973), that film's on-set disasters, and the original Georgetown possession story that inspired The Exorcist are very on the nose. The relationship between director Miller and his father further adds to this experience. I would be remiss not to include the fact that the Miller family's horror legacy is subtly touched on with the appearance of Adrian Pasdar at the beginning of this film as the ill-fated predecessor to Russel Crowe's character. Horror film scholars will note Pasdar starred in the criminally underrated vampire classic Near Dark (1987) alongside the very young Joshua John Miller. Not to mention Miller's half-brother and son of Jason Miller, Jason Patric, also starred in the popular 1987 vampire flick The Lost Boys. 

 

Those expecting to be scared may want to skip this film, though. Miller (the director) and his writing and life partner Mark Fortin insert the requisite jump scare/eerie imagery/over-the-top denouement beats that all possession films are mandated to, dare I say, possess. I said earlier that The Exorcism is rightfully labeled a horror film, and I stand by that. However, surface-level horror films put more muscle behind their jolts and spectacle; The Exorcism employs more subtext, which is carried by a heavy amount of two-hander scenes. 

 

I can appreciate The Exorcism's risks, but recommending it is tricky. I liked this film, but I am confident I’ll be on an island with that opinion. Audiences won't get the scares they want. Instead of the expected horror, this might feel like a bait and switch.