10 AMAZING Horror Sequels That Shouldn’t Have Worked
7. The Exorcist III
There's no doubt The Exorcist is one of the most quintessential horrors. Exorcist II: The Heretic, on the other hand, is among the most ridiculed horrors of all time, due to its non-sensical plot, lack of scares, and unintentional humour.
Because of this, The Exorcist III had an uphill battle straight off the bat. Despite having The Exorcist author, William Peter Blatty, in the director's chair, cynicism was deservingly high. The threequel felt barely connected to the original, since it functioned like a detective drama and had no returning characters, save for Karras. That goes double for the director's cut, which doesn't even contain an exorcism.
It received mixed reviews back in its day, but The Exorcist III is looked upon more generously with a modern lens. The film makes strong use of silence, pacing, and unsettling dialogue, so the minimal jump-scares are far more effective. Brad Dourif's performance as the Gemini Killer is magnificently unhinged, while George C. Scott's Lt. Kinderman grounds the supernatural story in reality with his subdued intensity.
It doesn't match the one that started it all, but there's no doubt The Exorcist III is a profoundly unnerving and thought-provoking thriller in its own right.