As Russell Crowe is one of the best actors of his generation, it has been sad to watch his career over the past decade. With the exception of 2016’s delightful comedy, The Nice Guys, the actor has been doing subpar work in lesser films. Thinking back to his heyday as an actor (the days of L.A. Confidential, The Insider, and Gladiator), one couldn’t fathom that there would come a time where moviegoers would get two demonic possession pictures with Crowe in the lead. Enter Joshua John Miller’s The Exorcism, the Oscar-winning actor’s second exorcist film in a little over a year.

Making his feature directing debut, Joshua John Miller is a name fans of 80s films will know. Miller co-started in Katherine Bigelow’s 1987 Vampire-Western classic Near Dark and in Tim Hunter’s cult drama, River’s Edge that same year. Co-scripting with M.A. Fortin, Miller’s horror film tells the story of Anthony Miller (Crowe), an actor making a comeback playing a priest in a pseudo-remake of The Exorcist. Using this plot device as your movie’s base is an easy way to avoid being called a rip-off.

While the title is generic and uninventive, The Exorcism actually gives Russell Crowe a chance to do some fine acting. Before the demonic histrionics begin in the film’s later half, the screenplay carves out an interesting character study of a broken man. Crowe’s Anthony is a recovering drug addict and alcoholic with serious mental health issues. His wife is dead and his estranged daughter, Leigh (Ryan Sympkins), cannot stomach what her father did to his life and their family. Crowe expertly traverses this man’s guilt and anguish. It is a great performance, until the picture spirals into the standard demonic possession brouhaha and Crowe is forced to chew the scenery.

Part backstage drama, part horror (a clever combination), Anthony wins the role based on Father Karras from William Friedkin’s classic. The director (Adam Goldberg, tapping into stories of Friedkin’s questionable directing techniques), uses Anthony’s damaged soul to his film’s advantage. The original lead was killed by some unseen force and Anthony is having trouble with the creepy vibe of stepping into the role; a decision that is not helping his already damaged psyche.

In the hopes of getting to know one another again, Anthony hires daughter Leigh as his personal assistant. When shooting commences, almost immediately Anthony becomes attacked by demons, who distort his mind and body. Suppressed childhood trauma causes him to further weaken, leaving his soul open for the evil to inhabit. What follows are scenes of the actor speaking languages he doesn’t not know, spouting vulgarities towards his daughter and her new lover, Anthony’s costar Blake (Chloe Bailey), and a face that becomes gradually scarred as the film progresses.

Leigh is angry, as she fears her dad has fallen back into addiction, until she (and the film’s cast and crew) are witness to a shocking display of Anthony’s body being contorted beyond human capacity. Now it’s clear to everyone that the man is fully possessed.

David Hyde Pierce plays an actual priest who is the film’s on set advisor. Once Leigh realizes the truth about her father, it is Pierce’s character who will step up to fight the devil’s minions who have taken control of her father.

With the knowledge Miller’s debut was made in 2019 and has been on the shelf ever since, one would imagine an unholy mess of a motion picture. While the final act holds no surprises and is too sloppy a wrap up, the films works well for good amount of time. There is an interesting story here. A tormented soul using his personal pain for a part in a movie is a fine idea and the screenplay makes that portion work very well.

The script makes something compelling out of Adam Goldberg’s director probing his lead actor’s mind, fully aware that it will cause him mental anguish. The character’s mental manipulation tactics are in line with Harvey Keitel’s exploitative filmmaker from Abel Ferrara’s undervalued 1993 picture, Dangerous Game.

A fun side trivia, Joshua John Miller is the son of actor Jason Miller, star of William Friedkin’s horror classic. Jason Miller’s given name was John Anthony Miller. The son’s tribute to his father (in Crowe’s character’s name) adds something special to the production.

A good section of Joshua John Miller’s movie works. Russell Crowe is more committed than he has been in years and the script makes clever use of personal pain without becoming too exploitative. Of course, this is a film about demonic possession and the unnecessary jump scares and long-worn out clichés explode in the second half, setting the strong first hour adrift.

The Exorcism is not a bad horror movie. The film is well shot (by Simon Duggan), well acted, and well directed. It is only the final act that weights everything down in a sea of been-there/done-that moments of dull demon purging.

The Exorcism

Written by M.A. Fortin & Joshua John Miller

Directed by Joshua John Miller

Starring Russell Crowe, Ryan Simpkins, Adam Goldberg, David Hyde Pierce, Chloe Bailey

R, 93 Minutes, Vertical, Outerbanks Entertainment, Miramax