Exorcist: The Beginning

Years before Father Merrin encountered the demon Pazuzu in The Exorcist, a younger, crisis-stricken Merrin is working as an archeologist in East Africa. He is called to a remote village where a demonic possession has taken hold of a young boy, forcing Merrin to confront his lost faith and battle an ancient evil. The film explores the origins of the demonic presence and Merrin's first encounter with it.

Exorcist: The Beginning was met with overwhelmingly negative reviews from critics and audiences alike. It is widely regarded as one of the weakest entries in the Exorcist franchise, criticized for its gratuitous violence, lack of originality, and departure from the tone of the original film. Despite its ambitious prequel premise, it failed to impress on nearly every level.

• Panned for its excessive gore and reliance on cheap scares over genuine horror.

• Criticized for a convoluted plot and underdeveloped characters.

• Seen as a pale imitation of the original classic, lacking its thematic depth and terror.

Google audience: Google users largely found the film to be a disappointing and unpleasant experience, with many disliking the excessive gore and lack of genuine scares. The film is frequently cited as a low point in the Exorcist series.

Exorcist: The Beginning underwent a troubled production, with director Paul Schrader's original cut being completely reshot by Renny Harlin due to studio dissatisfaction. Schrader's version, titled Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist, was eventually released in 2007 to slightly better reviews.