'The Exorcist': TV Review

This show scared my wife and me and that's good. So far the writing seems good, but we'll see what happens as time goes on.
I'm looking forward to a season of this, I need a replacement for Hannibal

This could be great for Friday night.
From THR:
Fox's series based on the horror classic stars Geena Davis as a woman convinced there's a demon haunting her immaculate house.
We can debate the merits of trying to turn one of the greatest horror movies of all time — The Exorcist — into a weekly television series, but it's hard to fault Fox for trying, given the limited ways broadcast networks can lure viewers to its offerings amid the crush of so many choices. Familiar franchises abound, and if you're going to go all in, you might as well do The Exorcistrather than Lethal Weapon, though your mileage may vary.

Premiering Friday night, The Exorcist is actually worth a look if you like scary things and have a penchant for scary familiar things you might want told a little differently and a little more deeply. The hour is scary enough but makes its biggest splash by demonstrating that it has plans to expand the worldview of the movie. That alone is interesting, even though a pilot — with no subsequent episodes to view — is an almost impossible barometer of what you'll get down the line.

That said, the pilot for The Exorcist is at least atmospheric, as directed by Rupert Wyatt (Rise of the Planet of the Apes), and has just enough story from writer-creator Jeremy Slater, even if he probably tried to cram too much into the first hour and ended up rushing the pilot's closing minutes. But hey, if you're going to meet the devil, might as well meet him (or feel his evil presence) in the pilot. Mustn't leave viewers a chance to bail.

The series stars Alfonso Herrera (Sense8) as Father Tomas Ortega, who runs a small parish in Chicago. One of the parishioners is Angela Rance (Geena Davis), who is convinced there's a demon or some presence in her immaculate house. She swears she's not crazy, and she certainly doesn't look or sound crazy. For proof, she notes to Father Tomas that she manages 400 people. Um, OK. Actually, what's more persuasive is the fact that The Exorcist pretty clearly lets you know that, hell yes, something bad is in her house.

Certainly the Rance residence has issues. For starters, eldest daughter Kat (Brianne Howey) has left college and come home and is reclusively staying in her room. Even bright, cheerful younger sister Casey (Hannah Kasulka) can't get her sister out of her shell. There's already a pall over the house because their father, Henry (Alan Ruck), is losing his mental faculties. His forgetfulness came on quickly and began this series of not-so-great times for the Rances.

The one character who might be the most interesting on The Exorcist is Father Marcus (Ben Daniels, House of Cards), who until very recently was employed by the Vatican to fight evil via exorcism across the world. His actions, most recently in Mexico (where there's an exorcism that's at least a nod to the original movie), run afoul of the Vatican's rules, which Father Marcus has little use for in his long, storied and toll-taking history as a man who ousts demons from humans.

Because Father Tomas started having dreams where he popped up, of all places, in the aforementioned Mexican exorcism (literally in the room — not the most subtle or effective way to connect the two priests), he seeks out Father Marcus to help.

Now, if you want a sense of the pitfalls of the pilot beyond that whole scenario, look no further than how fast things develop at the Rance household. First there's no real evidence that anything bad is happening inside (Davis plays the mother as leaping to this conclusion all too quickly), and then the episode shifts three or four gears at the end to reveal that, yes, very bad things are afoot there. Granted, that's the nature of network TV these days. Pilots are generally problematic.

However, if you're the kind of person who likes scary shows and mythology, it might be fair to give The Exorcist a chance for a few episodes to see what it has planned. Both Daniels and Herrera are charismatic, and if the writers can make the God vs. the devil face-off grow beyond the Rance household, there might be a show here that's worth a few scares.

Studio: 20th Century Fox Television
Cast: Geena Davis, Alfonso Herrera, Ben Daniels, Alan Ruck, Brianne Howey, Hannah Kasulka
Creator: Jeremy Slater

Airs Fridays at 9 p.m. on Fox.

 

That first Episode wasn't half bad, able actors and a decent storyline made this enjoyable.

 

I haven't watched it yet. I loved the movie so much I'm dying to see the show. My worry is they will over do it like so many other haunted films.

 

I didn't find it "overdone" like in spectacular gore and 360 headturning while the exorcist "battles the devil or demons for minutes for an audience" , more like a "slow burn" and in a "gritty" way ........ it could be good.

 

Can 'your mother ---- ----- in hell' on Network TV?

 

Ha! When I heard there would be a TV show of this, the first thing I thought of was that we won't get that classic line. That part always cracks me up.

 

I watched the Exocist film when I was 7. My dad had it on VHS, and when he was sleeping I would pop a tape in and watch it. I watched all sorts of films on the sneak like that. When I heard that line (and many others), I didn't know exactly what it meant, but I knew it had to be really bad. When I heard her asking for Jesus to perform sexual acts with her, I knew exactly what that meant, so a boundary was crossed that night for me. I didn't sleep a wink. I was so afraid I nearly woke my father up and told him what I had seen, but I knew if I did that he would hide all of the good movies.

It's actually amazing that I had the attention soan to watch all of those dramas at age 7.

 

It had quite the interesting twist at the end. I wasn't expecting that. Really out of left field.

 

Just watched it. Very good. Fantastic direction. I mean, better-than-most-films direction. Excellent acting (except for one demon on a bench). I usually sit impassively through most "scares" but a scene in the attic literally had the hair stand up on the back of my neck. That has never happened before. What a strange feeling. Some very cool, almost Hitchcockian special effects. Just odd enough that their obvious fakery makes them look really neat. I don't much watch TV as its so dumbed down, but this first episode was a cut above. Liked this much better than what I've seen from American Horror Story in the last two seasons. Once again, very well directed and done.

 

Very good first episode. I didn't see that twist ending coming.

 

It was pretty good. I expected it to tank and be really really bad. I'll be curious to see if they can sustain interest over a full season though.

 

I also liked the first episode and I am on board for at least the next few to see where it goes. If they are anything like the first episode, I'll be in for the long haul.

 

I like Richard Pryor's TV-safe version: "yo mama sews socks that smell!"

This is not a movie I would let any kid under 12 watch. From 12 on up... there's a lot of "it depends" involved. Movies are rated R for a reason.

 

Just watched the first episode. I was pleasantly surprised. The Exorcist is one of my favorite movies and have been disappointed by the sequels (though I do like III). I look forward seeing where this is going. I just hope it isn't doomed having a Friday evening timeslot.

Also, loved the use of Tubular Bells at the end of the episode.

 

I LOVE "III"!!!
It's got some comedy in it, and, like "Angel Heart" & "Jakob's Ladder", it's a kind of proto-"X-Files" in that it's got a 'detective story-meets-supernatural' vibe to it, that makes it more than just a regular 'horror' movie.

 

I liked the first episode. Mature story telling and it's great that its not recreating the same story as the film. There was a mention of three dying in Georgetown, an obvious nod to the deaths in the original movie.

Very cinema like. No cheap shots so far.

 

Episode two is up on Hulu. The pacing is great.

 

2nd episode. Wow.

 

I probably undersold my 'like' of Exorcist III. I do really like it. Have you seen the fan edit Legion: Exorcist III? I highly recommend it, much closer to the original story. They even had Brad Dourif (The Gemini Killer) attend the premiere.

 

Yeah, what can I say? My father was a single dad, raising a boy on his own, who underestimated my ability to operate a VCR machine. Good thing there wasn't any porn in the house or I would have watched that, too. The closest I came was Porky's (though I think I was a bit older).

Anyway, I was shocked how good The Exorcist TV show is. I don't think I've ever seen something this moody on mainstream television: this well written, directed and acted. It's not without its flaws, yet I was expecting crap on a scale of 10, but thankfully all I got was a 2.

It already beats the sequels (though, like most, I'm kind of a fan of III, as well).

 

The ending of episode two was interesting and opens up another storyline. Which is good.

 

and, where would one find THAT?

 

So far this show is proving that perhaps milking old ideas can work...I am definitely in on this one.

 

Hannibal was moodier and more intense. That was an amazing show.