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The Exorcism (film)

The Exorcism is a 2024 American supernatural horror film directed by Joshua John Miller and co-written by Miller and M.A. Fortin. The story centers on Anthony Miller, a recovering addict and actor played by Russell Crowe, who begins to unravel psychologically and exhibit erratic behavior while starring as a priest in a low-budget horror movie remake reminiscent of The Exorcist. His estranged daughter, Lee (Ryan Simpkins), arrives on set to support him and grapples with uncertainty over whether his deterioration stems from relapsing into substance abuse or a genuine supernatural affliction. The film features a supporting cast including as the director of the in-film production, as a concerned , as a young actress, and in a key role. Produced by and Outerbanks Entertainment with a runtime of 95 minutes, The Exorcism explores themes of , , and the blurring lines between and in a meta-narrative structure. It premiered in theaters on June 21, 2024, distributed by Vertical, before becoming available for streaming on platforms like starting July 9, 2024. Critically, the film received mixed reviews, with a 27% approval rating on based on 124 critic scores, praised for Crowe's intense performance but critiqued for uneven pacing and reliance on familiar tropes. Audience reception was similarly divided, earning a 36% score from over 100 verified ratings, though it garnered attention for its exploration of personal demons alongside literal ones.

Premise and Characters

Plot

Anthony Miller, a recovering addict and out-of-work , is cast in the lead role of a performing an in the low-budget The Georgetown Project, shot on a soundstage in . As production begins, eerie incidents plague the set, starting with the sudden death of the previous lead , who falls from a high platform due to an unseen force. Miller, struggling to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter , invites her to join the production as a , hoping to mend their fractured relationship strained by his past and neglect during his wife's battle with cancer. As filming progresses over several weeks, Miller's behavior grows increasingly erratic; he experiences vivid nightmares, hears disturbing whispers, and exhibits physical symptoms like self-inflicted wounds and unnatural strength, blurring the lines between his character's scenes and his own deteriorating mental state. Flashbacks reveal Miller's traumatic childhood, marked by at the hands of a , which fuels his and relapse into . Lee, alarmed by her father's decline and suspecting more than mere , confides in Father Conor, the film's technical advisor and a real-life with his own crisis of faith, who begins investigating the elements tied to the production. The meta-narrative intensifies as the demon, identified as Molech, manifests through Miller's actions, terrorizing the cast and crew, including his co-star Blake, Lee's girlfriend. In the climactic exorcism ritual performed on the set, Father Conor sacrifices himself by inviting the demon into his body to protect , allowing the actor to confront and stab the entity with a , banishing it in a burst of flames that engulfs Conor. Surviving the ordeal, finds redemption through forgiveness of his past traumas and reconciliation with , who establishes healthier boundaries in their relationship, while the film production wraps amid lingering ambiguity about the demon's complete defeat.

Cast

The principal cast of The Exorcism features in the lead role as Anthony Miller, a recovering addict and portraying a in a low-budget remake, whose erratic behavior raises concerns among the crew and his family. plays Lee Miller, Anthony's estranged daughter who visits the set to support him and becomes increasingly worried about his deteriorating mental state. portrays Joe, Anthony's co-star in the film-within-the-film, contributing to the tense on-set dynamics as a fellow involved in the scenes. Chloe Bailey stars as Blake Holloway, the young actress playing the possessed character in the remake, whose performance intersects with the real-life horrors unfolding around the production. appears as Peter, the demanding director of the , whose pushy leadership exacerbates the cast's stresses during filming. delivers a pivotal performance as Father Conor, a and religious consultant who steps in to address the apparent demonic influences affecting Anthony. rounds out the key supporting roles as Tom, another actor on the project whose early scenes set a foreboding tone for the meta-narrative. Notable among the casting choices is Russell Crowe's portrayal of Anthony, marking his second consecutive role in an exorcism-themed horror following (2023), where he again embodies a figure grappling with faith and possession.

Production

Development

The project, initially titled The Georgetown Project, was announced in October 2019 as a supernatural thriller written by and , with attached to star. Miller, who also directed, envisioned the film as a meta-horror influenced by classics like , serving as a to his father Jason Miller's role as Father Damien Karras in the 1973 original. The script drew from the duo's prior collaboration on (2015), blending psychological tension with self-referential elements about the filmmaking process and personal demons. Produced primarily by and Outerbanks Entertainment with an estimated budget of $22 million, the film faced significant and delays due to the , which halted momentum after initial and finalization. These disruptions postponed reshoots until 2023, extending the overall timeline by nearly four years. In April 2024, ahead of its release, the title was changed to The Exorcism to better reflect its thematic focus on and within the genre.

Filming

for The Exorcism commenced on November 4, 2019, and wrapped on December 18, 2019, taking place primarily in . The received a $3 million grant from the Film and Entertainment Grant Program to support filming in the state. Key locations in Wilmington included Cinespace Studios at 1223 North 23rd Street, where soundstages were used to depict the meta-film-within-a-film production. Church interiors were shot at St. James Episcopal Parish on 25 South 3rd Street, while exterior scenes utilized the Brooklyn Arts Center at 516 North 4th Street and streets like North Front Street and Dock Street, the latter dressed to evoke a atmosphere. The film incorporated practical effects for its sequences, including makeup and prosthetics in the possession scenes to create visceral demonic transformations. The COVID-19 pandemic severely disrupted the schedule, halting progress and necessitating reshoots nearly four years later in 2023 across (including the ), for additional meta-horror elements, and to accommodate cast availability. These reshoots introduced newly written scenes and supporting actors to refine the narrative. Cinematographer , known for his work on films like , crafted the film's tense visuals using low lighting and strategic shadows to heighten the supernatural dread. Post-production was completed in early 2024, allowing the film to proceed to release.

Release

Distribution

Vertical Entertainment acquired the North American distribution rights to The Exorcism in April 2024, handling the film's U.S. theatrical release. Shudder secured the pay-one streaming rights for the film following its theatrical run. The film had a limited international rollout prior to its U.S. debut, with releases in on May 30, 2024, as L'Esorcismo - Ultimo Atto, and in on May 31, 2024. Additional markets including , , and followed on June 6, 2024. In the United States, released The Exorcism theatrically on June 21, 2024. Marketing for the film centered on trailers released in late April 2024, which highlighted Russell Crowe's portrayal of a troubled unraveling during a production, emphasizing the meta- elements and themes. Promotional efforts were relatively subdued in the post-COVID era, with limited events including an advance community screening in —where principal photography took place—on June 13, 2024. No major festival premieres were held prior to the wide release.

Home Media

Following its theatrical debut in June 2024, The Exorcism became available for digital purchase and rental on video-on-demand (VOD) platforms starting July 9, 2024. It was offered on services including Prime Video, , , and at Home, allowing consumers early access to the film in high-definition formats. The film later expanded to subscription-based streaming, premiering on Shudder and AMC+ on October 30, 2024, as part of an exclusive window for the horror-focused service. It also became accessible via on October 28, 2025, and other bundled platforms, broadening its availability for ad-free viewing. Physical home media releases followed on September 24, 2024, with standard DVD and Blu-ray editions distributed by and available through retailers like . These editions feature the film's 1.85:1 and DTS-HD 5.1 audio but include no supplemental materials or special features. A 4K version was later released in select international markets, such as on November 14, 2024.

Reception

Box Office

The Exorcism was released in 2,240 theaters in the United States on June 21, 2024, earning $2.4 million in its opening weekend and placing seventh at the domestic box office. The film faced stiff competition from major releases such as Inside Out 2, which dominated the charts with over $100 million in its second weekend, and Bad Boys: Ride or Die, contributing to a crowded summer slate for horror titles. Produced on an estimated budget of $22 million, the film struggled to recoup costs theatrically, ultimately grossing $4.5 million domestically and $8.1 million internationally for a worldwide total of $12.6 million. Its domestic performance declined sharply after the debut, with weekly drops exceeding 50% in subsequent frames, reflecting limited audience interest amid mixed critical reception. By the end of its theatrical run, the modest earnings underscored challenges for mid-budget horror films in a market favoring blockbusters.

Critical Response

Upon its release, The Exorcism garnered mixed to negative reviews from critics, who praised Russell Crowe's committed performance while criticizing the film's reliance on familiar horror tropes and lack of originality. On , it holds a 27% approval rating from 124 reviews, with an rating of 4.6/10. The site's s consensus states: "The power of Crowe compels up to a point in this metatextual riff on the possession genre, but The Exorcism's greatest sin is ultimately falling back on clichés." On , the film received a weighted score of 46 out of 100 based on 20 reviews, signifying "mixed or " . Reviewers highlighted the film's atmospheric tension and meta-commentary on the exorcism subgenre as strengths, particularly in how it blurs the lines between a character's personal demons and the supernatural. Variety noted that Crowe's portrayal of a troubled "has an undercurrent of shaggy despair unusual for the genre," crediting his effort for elevating the material despite the script's shortcomings. However, common criticisms focused on predictability, uneven pacing, and hollow scares that fail to innovate beyond influences. The Hollywood Reporter described it as "intriguing, but not so engaging," pointing to dragged pacing and diluted tension from extraneous subplots. Roger Ebert praised the film's mimicry of classic possession aesthetics but faulted its lack of fresh scares, calling it a "disappointment" for horror fans seeking novelty. Audience reception mirrored critical sentiment, with polled viewers giving the film a "D" on an A+ to F scale. On , the audience score stands at 36%, with viewers echoing complaints about unoriginal storytelling and ineffective jump scares. This poor word-of-mouth contributed to the film's underwhelming performance.

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