Film #12 — 1/5 Sequels
By C. Ramsay
Being the widely panned follow-up to what’s often considered one of the greatest horror movies ever made, contrarily garnering its own reputation as being one of the worst, Exorcist II: The Heretic has in recent time begun to be reevaluated and is not nearly as bad as the connotation of its notoriety despite still having some glaring issues. Some sections can feel somewhat slow and dull, and much of the core plot structure is culturally irresponsible and racist. Having been rewritten to hell as shooting was taking place, the script is the most flawed component of the production, faltering primarily in its dialogue and by repeatedly giving more importance to the visuals than to continuity or the basic sense of some scenes. While it’s not difficult to follow the broader plot points and overall story, the intricacies of how everything connects are not always apparent. The pacing is generally a little off, with certain storylines cutting abruptly to others in an attempt to provide more characterization, but instead resulting in a growing disconnect.
The pacing of individual scenes, rather than how they flow together, is much better done. The initial hypnosis scene is arguably the standout, taking its time in building some fantastic tension that’s then used to inform the feeling of the rest of the film. Although it’s odd that Dr. Tuskin, the character of Regan’s therapist, is for some reason adamantly nonchalant about having pioneered a working telekinesis machine, its inclusion in the story is taken more straightforward and therefore requires a basis of non-existent science, something that’s for the most part handled well. The audience is introduced to how the machine functions via a visual walkthrough with some exposition being presented as instructions for other people in the room, allowing us to follow what’s happening and why without needing the exact breakdown. At a certain point the explanations circle back to being more than what’s necessary, though, teetering once again into the territory of bad writing. The inability to successfully see certain scenes through causes the points where the tension should be culminating to actually be some of the least tense moments, the focus being erroneously placed on trying to show off effects that aren’t always as impressive as they seem like they were expected to be. Part of what makes the initial hypnosis scene so effective is its simplicity, and the more elaborate the subsequent sessions become, the less effective they are.
Director John Boorman makes up for where the writing falls short with a quiet, eerie, clinical atmosphere over much of the film. This tranquil anxiety—like smelling electricity in the air from a coming storm—can easily give way to more grandiose ideas while still being there to settle back into after. The set design is gorgeous, unique in each location but still formatted to one overarching style that’s prevalent throughout. Adding to the look and feel of the film is an incredible Ennio Morricone score which, combined with the sound design, uses lots of rhythmic and droning notes to develop a hypnotic audio landscape meant to better immerse the audience.
Though some cast members from the original did not return, the ones who did are utilized well in perpetuating the plot and pulling it to new areas. Father Merrin has since his death come to be regarded as a religious traitor rather than someone who died trying to protect what he believed in. Father Lamont (Richard Burton), the religious figure who takes over in the sequel, is moody and haunted. At times playing the role a bit too comedic, Burton otherwise manages to lean into his character’s tormented psychology enough to add a bit of melodrama without relying on doing so the entire time. Linda Blair’s return as a a more grown-up Regan is a highlight, with her being able to expand on the characterization she’d already laid the groundwork for four years prior. In trying to capitalize on Blair’s age, Boorman leaned into Pazuzu attempting to exploit others through a sultriness that goes beyond the sexual explicitness that Regan is known for in The Exorcist, but doing feels more out of place than provocative. Overall, Exorcist II: The Heretic is a film that takes huge swings that only connect some of the time, but those successes open up the original story to so many new directions. As innovative as Boorman could be on this project, he also made sure not to stray too far from part of what makes the original so frightening, which is that those most directly in the light are the ones most at risk of corruption.
Star rating (/5): ★★★
Recommend?: Yes