The Exorcism of Emily Rose

The Exorcism of Emily Rose serves up proper portions of impressive chills, for which – as in The Grudge – composer Christopher Young deserves a lot of credit. However, these very effective elements of modern horror are overshadowed by a courtroom drama that begs to be handled more intelligently and in a more dignified manner. The theme, which elevates the film above the current crowd of mediocre horror movies, is used only superficially by the filmmakers, who thus miss the mark. In comparison with Friedkin’s The Exorcist, this film is merely a skillfully shot diversion based on a mediocre screenplay. (27/10/2005)

I've got two major gripes with films centered around exorcism themes. Firstly, I'm not a fan of the various religions and churches depicted. Secondly, ever since Max von Sydow tried to dodge streams of pea soup, it seems like filmmakers haven't really come up with anything new (unless we count the use of CGI on the possessed). This particular film wasn't exactly a horror movie, more like a courtroom drama with added exorcism flashbacks, with the courtroom scenes being the saving grace. Unfortunately, the trial concluded with a verdict that seemed like a clever cop-out. So, for me, the film ended halfway through; I was entertained and yet not quite satisfied, and my rating reflects this mixed bag. It wasn't a terrible movie, but it had way too many flaws to leave a lasting impression on me. / Lesson learned: If you have a fit in a deeply religious family, you're in trouble. (30/07/2023)

A tedious battle between science and faith set in a courtroom. It’s a pretty long film – by the end I was looking at my watch – the events in the courtroom are quite boring because they are very predictable (you can figure out exactly how the case will develop and what the verdict will be). What is a little bit better are the flashbacks showing a still alive Emily. The entire film has three mildly scary scenes, very little for an almost two-hour runtime, which is a real shame because they are very effective and intense. Formally speaking, there’s not much to reproach: the actors handle their roles perfectly, the characters don’t do anything stupid and the direction is good enough. 70% (20/01/2008)

A notch better than The Exorcist, which doesn’t have even a drop of rational explanation and the viewer must believe in the supernatural, whether they like it or not. The Exorcism of Emily Rose is much more variable and tries to look at things from different perspectives. The judicial aspect cleverly helps with this in the present, allowing us to listen to alternative opinions of people not directly involved with the accused. The theme is very interesting overall and very well executed. The exorcism scenes are incredibly explosive and captivating (far surpassing The Exorcist), effectively pinning the viewer to their seat. Equally impressive are Christopher Young's musical motifs, which create a perfect nerve-wracking atmosphere. And last but not least, we have Laura Linney's performance. A serious film about a serious topic, but one that looks at it with a cool head, and that is appreciated. (25/06/2006)

My skepticism towards the easily outdated topic disappeared when Laura Linney first appeared and the seemingly unbelievable intention to connect a courtroom drama with a horror started to fit into the presented concept naturally and simply. When the courtroom storyline becomes too straightforward, we are given a convincing insert by the twisting Jennifer Carpenter, and when similar scenes exceed the tolerable limit, we return to another hearing. Moreover, the formula "based on true events" works reliably this time as well, and during this brisk, but above all, unpredictable film, theological and philosophical dilemmas were running through my mind non-stop. So mainly for that, I must give Exorcism a big salute, not to mention the long-awaited climax in court. (05/04/2006)