With Mike Flanagan's upcoming franchise revival, The Exorcist: Martyrs, set to pair a serial killer case with demonic possession, the horror community is revisiting a misunderstood cult classic from the 1990s. The new film appears to be a clear nod to William Peter Blatty's The Exorcist III, making this Halloween an ideal time to re-examine the sequel that has earned its status after years of being butchered by studio interference.
The Exorcist III is based on Blatty's 1983 novel Legion and takes place 15 years after the events of the original film. The story follows Lt. Kinderman, played by George C. Scott, and Father Dyer, portrayed by Ed Flanders, who meet annually on the anniversary of Father Karras' death. The plot thickens when someone begins replicating the murders of the Gemini Killer, a man executed on the same night Karras died. The situation becomes personal after Father Dyer is murdered during a hospital checkup, leading investigators to a patient confined to a psychiatric ward who had been catatonic for 15 years until recently awakening and claiming to be the killer.
The film reveals that the Gemini Killer is actually the same demon that possessed and killed Karras. Seeking revenge, the demon placed the Gemini Killer's soul into Karras' dead body. Blatty's direction keeps the audience questioning whether the possession is real or merely mental illness for much of the runtime. Due to studio meddling, the villain is played by both Brad Dourif and Jason Miller. The character shifts faces depending on who he is speaking to; Kinderman sees his deceased friend's face, while the killer speaks through Dourif. At times, Dourif delivers long monologues with tears streaming down his face, suggesting the body is rejecting the demon inside.
Unlike Regan MacNeil, whose horror stemmed from the transgression of a young girl transforming into a demon, the Gemini Killer relies on theatricality and the joy projected while taunting Kinderman or clinically breaking down his killings. The film also utilizes the original's trick of a morphing voice that shifts between genders and ages for an alien effect. Despite its strengths, the final cut is described as a Frankenstein's monster stitched together under studio pressure, featuring disjointed tones and an explosive ending added by executives.
After Blatty finished shooting, the studio demanded a familiar face and an explosive finale, initially replacing Dourif with Miller. However, Miller's declining health made it difficult for him to remember long monologues, forcing the studio to bring Dourif back. The role ended up split between the two actors in the final version. Dourif later told Fangoria that the original version was much purer and that the current film is mediocre with parts that have no right to be there. Despite these production issues, Dourif's performance is a significant reason why the film has been reappraised in recent years.
The blend of police procedural and demonic possession seen in The Exorcist III seems to be exactly what Flanagan is aiming for with The Exorcist: Martyrs. The trailer teases a story featuring a homicide detective who catches a serial killer, only for things to go wrong at the execution. While Flanagan could do worse than using the third film as a blueprint, his villain will have a high bar to clear given the legacy of the Gemini Killer. The Exorcist III is currently streaming on Prime Video.
Sources: Polygon.