Forget ‘Carrie,’ Mike Flanagan’s Next Movie Could Fix A Misunderstood Cult Classic
Mike Flanagan’s upcoming film, *The Exorcist: Martyrs*, appears to combine a serial killer case with demonic possession, prompting a fresh look at *The Exorcist III*. The article argues that the 1990 sequel is a misunderstood cult film whose restrained approach to faith, doubt and horror makes it more than a flawed follow-up to the original.
Set 15 years after the first film, it follows Lieutenant Kinderman as he investigates murders resembling those of the executed Gemini Killer. A psychiatric patient claims to be the killer, and the film eventually reveals a link between the demon that possessed Father Karras and the Gemini Killer’s soul. Studio interference led to a divided performance by Brad Dourif and Jason Miller, as well as an added exorcism finale; despite its uneven construction, the article singles out Dourif’s theatrical, taunting portrayal as a distinctive and frightening villain.
In short
- Flanagan’s new film renews interest in *The Exorcist III*.
- The sequel blends a serial killer case with demonic possession.
- Brad Dourif’s Gemini Killer is praised as its standout villain.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The case for *The Exorcist III* as a misunderstood cult film is that its quieter, more meditative approach gives the horror room to explore faith, doubt and grief, while Brad Dourif’s performance makes the Gemini Killer memorably unsettling. Its unevenness can be understood in part as the result of studio changes that disrupted the story’s original design.
The case against
The case against treating the film as a fully realised classic is that its divided performances and added exorcism finale leave it feeling structurally uneven. Viewers may reasonably see those flaws as more than cosmetic: they can weaken the tension and make the film less coherent than its strongest scenes suggest.
Explained simply
The Exorcist III is a 1990 horror film set 15 years after The Exorcist. It follows Lieutenant Kinderman, a police officer investigating murders that resemble crimes committed by the executed Gemini Killer, while a patient in a psychiatric hospital claims to be the killer.
The film connects the case to Father Karras, the priest possessed by a demon in the original story. Its production was affected by studio changes, including a revised ending, and the killer’s role is shared between actors Brad Dourif and Jason Miller. These elements help explain why viewers and critics have seen the film as uneven, while some have come to value its distinctive villain and approach to faith, doubt and horror.