10 Horror Movie Sequels Nobody Wanted…. But Everyone Loved
5. The Exorcist III
It’s difficult to exaggerate the initial impact of 1973’s The Exorcist.
Directed by William Friedkin and written by William Peter Blatty (who penned the novel two years earlier), its visual and thematic horrors literally caused people to faint. Naturally, it’s since been hailed as one of the greatest – and scariest – horror movies of all time.
Four years on, however, John Boorman’s Exorcist II: The Heretic had the complete opposite effect. With its stagey acting, laughably awkward dialogue, muddled narrative, and poor special effects, it quickly and definitively became known as a so-bad-it’s-good curiosity and one of the worst sequels ever made.
Over a decade later, 1990’s The Exorcist III – helmed entirely by Blatty – arrived long after the brand lost its luster (with countless fans of the original still feeling offended by Exorcist II).
Fortunately, The Exorcist III became rightly celebrated as a massively superior sequel thanks to Blatty’s confidently contemplative and disturbing vision alongside the lead performances of George C. Scott and Brad Dourif.
Granted, the possession elements themselves aren’t particularly frightening or necessary, but The Exorcist III’s storytelling, chilling moodiness, dynamic direction, and philosophical/theological depth is top-tier stuff. Plus, it arguably spawned the greatest jump scare of all time.