Why The Exorcist Sequels Failed (& How The New Movie Can Succeed)

https://screenrant.com/exorcist-movie-sequels-failed-new-remake-successful-how/

The Exorcist sequels and prequels are quite the odd lot of films, and the writers and directors involved with them just seemed incapable of cracking what made the classic original so special. 1977's Exorcist 2: The Heretic likely needs no introduction at this point, if only because it's widely regarded as one of the worst horror sequels ever. It's silly, convoluted, confusing, and when Father Lamont is almost seduced by a teenage Regan, creepy for all the wrong reasons. Gone is the polish and class inherent to the original, which seems highbrow even considering some of its shockingly graphic content.

The Exorcist 3 has become a bit of a cult classic, but it took decades, and while it's a fine horror movie, it's a poor Exorcist follow-up. It doesn't feel like an Exorcist sequel, and when it tries to force in an exorcism sequence, the scene feels entirely out of place. The dueling prequels, Exorcist: The Beginning and Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist are both disappointments as well. The Beginning has terrible special effects, lame plot twists, and a cringe-worthy attempt to redo the ending exorcism of the original. Then there's Dominion, which is better than The Beginning, but instead of being laughably awful is just plain boring for most of its run time. The Exorcist sequels and prequels are a mixed bag of alternately straying too far from what fans loved about the original, and trying to awkwardly cram scenes reminiscent of Regan MacNeil's exorcism into a story where they don't fit.