Every Exorcist Movie And TV Show, Ranked

There’s not much we can say about “The Exorcist” that hasn’t been said, but we’d be remiss not to at least give an overview for those unfamilar. Amongst the most legendary horror movies ever put to the screen, “The Exorcist” is based on a novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty. It released at a time when wide-release movies about hauntings and possessions were still acceptable for all ages. 1963’s “The Haunting,” for example, was rated G.

The original film starred Ellen Burstyn as a single mother who needs the help of a priest (Jason Miller) to exorcise a demon from her daughter, Regan (Linda Blair). A different kind of horror movie than many were used to in 1973, it was about more than blood, gore, and jump scares. It was full of disturbing religious themes and imagery that churned stomachs. It was also a massive hit, popular with swaths of audiences, and becoming an instant movie phenomenon. The effects would ripple across pop culture for decades.

A sequel made it out four years after “The Exorcist” shook cinemas, sparking a horror franchise on big and small screens that’s endured since. There’s been just about every kind of sequel, from simple follow-ups to reboots, legacy sequels, and even movies meant to retcon other movies in the franchise. Some have failed to live up to the original, some have been downright awful, and some were merely solid entertainment. Not all are worth watching. To help you decide, we’ve put together a ranked list of every “Exorcist” movie and TV series, roughly based on critical and fan opinion. They’re in descending order, too, so you can get through the stinkers fast.

Horror saw a resurgence in cinemas around the turn of the millennium, with some of the most iconic films in the genre receiving remakes. The trend included classics like “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre,” “Carrie,” and “Dawn of the Dead.” It also included “The Exorcist,” but instead of a remake, it received a prequel, “The Exorcist: The Beginning.” The behind-the-scenes story of its production may be more compelling than anything in the film.

Starting development in the late ’90s, “The Beginning” cycled through multiple directors before settling on Paul Schrader. Liam Neeson was briefly onboard to take over the role of a young Father Merrin, though future fellow “Star Wars” star Stellan Skarsgård would eventually land the part. “The Beginning” opens in the 15th century as a priest discovers a Pazuzu-head pendant, similar to the artifact from the beginning of “The Exorcist.” It fast-forwards to the late 1940s, where Father Merrin has lost faith after witnessing the horrors of World War II. When he’s asked to help recover an ancient relic, Merrin travels to Cairo and encounters a hellish evil that he will one day help exorcise from young Regan MacNeil (Linda Blair).

Bland and lifeless, “The Exorcist: The Beginning” is only interesting because it’s the second of two versions of the story. After Schrader’s original cut was met with a disastrous response from the studio on completion, that film (“Dominion: A Prequel to The Exorcist,” higher up this list) was shelved, and this movie (“The Beginning”) was cut from it, with reshoots by Renny Harlin. “The Beginning” proved to be even worse than the first cut, and when it bombed at the box office, the studio would later release “Dominion,” hoping to recoup their losses. It didn’t work.

Following the success of “The Exorcist,” a sequel went into relatively quick development. At the time, sequels in Hollywood weren’t the automatic response to success like it is today, and with no sequel novel to inspire it, it was arguably even less likely to happen. Still, as big of a success as “The Exorcist” was, the studio embarked on a follow-up to cash in on the first film’s popularity, and 1977 saw the release of “The Exorcist II: The Heretic,” an all-new story that saw the return of Linda Blair as a teenaged Regan MacNeil.

“The Exorcist II: The Heretic” takes place four years after the original film, where we meet a 16-year-old Regan still grappling with the physical and emotional fallout from her possession by Pazuzu. As the film begins, we meet another religious figure, Father Lamont (Richard Burton). After his latest exorcism ends in failure, he’s assigned to look into the death of the original film’s Father Merrin (Max von Sydow). As Father Lamont investigates, he subjects the still-recovering Regan to risky, unorthodox experiments under the care of Dr. Tuskin (Louise Fletcher). They’re designed to help him communicate with the treacherous demon that once called her body home.

Audiences and critics agreed the film was a failure with a bizarre approach that didn’t work. Since then, some retrospectives have provided a minimal level of appreciation for the attempt. There’s at least some redeeming qualities, with a strong cast of big-screen stars and interesting ideas. That makes it a flop worth watching, just for its place in cinematic history. But don’t make the mistake of thinking it’s good, because it certainly isn’t. 

Years after a television series based on “The Exorcist” dazzled the small screen, the franchise returned with “The Exorcist: Believer,” in another attempt to revitalize the film series. For this, the studio tapped filmmaker David Gordon Green, the man who successfully brought the “Halloween” films back to life with a trilogy featuring its original star, Jamie Lee Curtis. Green does something similar for “Believer,” bringing back both Ellen Burstyn and Linda Blair in their iconic horror roles of mother and daughter. 

For the new legacy sequel, Green doubles up the exorcisms with a pair of young girls who are both believed to be possessed by the same demon who tormented Regan decades earlier. Leslie Odom Jr. leads the film as Victor Fielding, the father of Angela Fielding (Lidya Jewett). Angela is a young girl who, along with her best friend Kat (Olivia O’Neill), goes briefly missing in the woods, only to turn up changed by a supernatural experience. As the two children grow twisted by their apparent possession, Fielding seeks out Chris MacNeil (Burstyn), who understands very well what’s happening to his daughter and her friend.

Though there is some compelling stuff in “Believer,” it’s a flat attempt at capitalizing on the resurgence of horror remakes. It doesn’t come close to matching the terror of the original, nor is it interesting enough to look past its flaws. Ultimately, it didn’t lead to the series of films the studio was hoping for. David Gordon Green’s planned trilogy was canned, and the franchise is facing another reboot, this time with Mike Flanagan (“Midnight Mass”) at the helm.

As the first attempt to revive “The Exorcist” in the mid-2000s, “Dominion: A Prequel to the Exorcist” is ironically the better of the two versions, even if it’s not by much. Internal reaction to “Dominion” was disastrous, and it was replaced by Renny Harlin’s recut and reshot version, “The Exorcist: The Beginning.” “Dominion,” Paul Schrader’s original film, was released to save face after “The Beginning” bombed, but the irony is that “Dominion” wound up faring worse at the box office. It didn’t even earn half a million dollars in ticket sales.

As bad as the movie is, “Dominion” it isn’t without its merits. Leading the way is a strong performance from star Stellan Skarsgård. As in “The Beginning,” the story of “Dominion” takes place in the 1940s, but in this version, Father Merrin is already an archaeologist working out of Egypt, searching for artifacts. What they find is an ancient Christian church where there shouldn’t be one, with a chamber for a human sacrifice that seems to contradict everything they know about the region’s history. Before long, they discover the site is home to an evil presence. Yes, it’s Pazuzu. The same one Merrin will meet decades later in “The Exorcist.”

Though not a very good movie, “Dominion” does have a sense of suspense that the second version lacked. It also features some haunting performances, highlighting a more thoughtful approach than the more in-your-face horror of the Harlin version.

“The Exorcist II: The Heretic” was excoriated by critics and bombed at the box office, but, like Pazuzu, the franchise couldn’t stay dead forever. It took more than a decade, but eventually, “The Exorcist III” arrived in 1990. Thankfully, it’s a vast improvement over its predecessor. Much of that can be credited to the fact that it’s adapted from a novel, “Legion,” from original author William Peter Blatty. Blatty even directs, from a screenplay he personally adapts. It’s the second time he’s taken full control over his work, the first being “The Ninth Configuration.”

Much more of a psychological horror film than most of the films in the series, “The Exorcist III” brings back Jason Miller from the first movie to reprise his role as Father Karras. It’s iconic actor George C. Scott who leads the film, though, as William Kinderman (recast from the original “Exorcist” actor, Lee J. Cobb). Kinderman is a detective who has seen so much horror in his career that he no longer believes that God exists. Theologically opposing him is his friend Father Dyer (Ed Flanders, replacing Father William O’Malley from “The Exorcist”), a devout man who cheerfully debates Kinderman about everything. When demonic possession strikes again, with ancient evil tormenting the living by inhabiting the body of a serial killer (Brad Dourif), it forces a confrontation over everything either man believes in.

With snappy dialogue and Blatty’s simple but effective direction, “The Exorcist III” might be one of the greatest horror sequels ever made. The cast lifts an otherwise predictable story into a gripping drama, while its terror, like the original film, stems from its unsettling approach to the classic story of good and evil. 

When an iconic film franchise heads to the small screen for the first time, it can make audiences as hesitant as it can make them excited. Can an ongoing story based on a classic film like “The Exorcist” ever capture the same sense of dread? Can it be as terrifying as the movie known as one of the scariest films of all time? Well, those questions were put to the test in 2016 when “The Exorcist” debuted on Fox. It made the bold decision to ignore every sequel and follow directly from the events of the original movie. It also recast many of the original characters, with Geena Davis stepping into the role of an adult Regan MacNeil.

Set decades after the original film, “The Exorcist” series centers on two rival priests operating in the Catholic Church: Father Tomas Ortega (Alfonso Herrera) — the new head of the church in Chicago, bringing about progressive reforms — and Father Marcus Keane (Ben Daniels), who is fighting a religious war in Mexico City. Keane is descended from the Knights Templar and raised by the Vatican as a weapon against evil. These two very different priests are brought together when an American family becomes the focal point of a demonic evil that will test both men’s faiths.

Against all odds, “The Exorcist” television series proves better than any cinematic sequel. Bringing the story into the modern day, with spine-chilling suspense and terror beyond imagination, this series delivers the hellish goods.

Was there any doubt which version of “The Exorcist” was going to top this list? Probably not. It’s widely considered among the best horror movies ever made and became an instant classic on release. Even if it did prompt some movie-goers to extreme reactions. When it first released in 1973, it shocked audiences who weren’t accustomed to the frightening imagery and stomach-churning themes. Back then, horror movies were normally the domain of B-movies and late-night schlockfests.

“The Exorcist” follows Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn), a single mother who faces a desperate struggle to save her daughter’s soul when she becomes possessed by an ancient demon. The doubtful psychologist and Jesuit priest Damien Karras (Jason Miller) struggles to help her 12-year-old daughter Regan (Linda Blair), whose recent disturbing behavior has been getting worse. All medical treatments have proven fruitless. In a last-ditch effort, the Catholic Church calls upon the services of Father Merrin (Max von Sydow), who believes that Regan is afflicted with a real demonic possession.

With expert direction, stylish cinematography, and a haunting atmosphere that few had ever experienced before, “The Exorcist” chilled audiences to the bone. Gruesome visuals led to bile-burping reactions, creating lurid stories about what it was really like to see this in theaters. This only added to the fim;s near-mythical status. It set a new bar for the horror genre and had an undeniable impact on the movie itself, spawning an entire cottage industry of scary movie rip-offs.