Mike Flanagan’s Exorcist Movie Won’t Fix The Fundamental Flaw Of The Franchise

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Mike Flanagan is taking on a new Exorcist movie, but the franchise has a core weakness that he likely won’t be able to fix. The original Exorcist film, based on William Peter Blatty’s popular novel, was released in 1973 and was considered the scariest movie ever made at the time.

While there were several sequels made, The Exorcist didn’t become the hugely successful horror series the film studio hoped for. The 2023 film, The Exorcist: Believer, was intended to restart the franchise, but it performed so poorly that all future plans were canceled. Now, Mike Flanagan is attempting to revitalize the struggling series, but even his skill may not be enough to overcome its fundamental problems.

The Exorcist Doesn’t Work As A Horror Franchise

Most horror movies easily get sequels, but The Exorcist is different. Its story feels complete and has a strong, final ending. While the demons in the film could inspire further scary tales, a successful series needs a consistent connection to keep viewers coming back, and that’s difficult with this film.

Each movie made after the original The Exorcist has struggled with its own ideas. Exorcist II: The Heretic from 1977 is a prime example – it awkwardly tried to connect to the first film to appeal to horror fans, but ended up being confusing rather than frightening, and ultimately couldn’t live up to expectations.

Okay, so The Exorcist III is seriously one of those movies that doesn’t get enough love. It’s a fantastic film, but it’s not really a sequel in the traditional sense – it mainly connects to the first movie through the character of Kinderman. Honestly, the studio forced them to add exorcism stuff later on, and those additions almost wrecked the whole thing! It’s still often ignored because people expect a straight-up continuation of the original, and it’s just…not that. It’s a shame, because it’s really good on its own.

While The Exorcist: Believer felt like a simple attempt to capitalize on the original film’s popularity, it highlighted a larger problem: The Exorcist doesn’t really lend itself to sequels. These follow-ups struggle to find a balance – they’re caught between satisfying fans’ expectations and actually developing the story in a fresh, compelling direction.

Mike Flanagan May Be The Only Person Qualified To Fix The Franchise

While it’s a tough task, Mike Flanagan is probably the best director to try and improve the Exorcist franchise. He’s skilled at blending traditional horror with a modern style, and he’s demonstrated an ability to successfully adapt existing stories.

The Haunting of Hill House successfully adapted Shirley Jackson’s novel into a genuinely frightening experience for modern viewers. If given creative freedom, Mike Flanagan could achieve the same with The Exorcist. All of Flanagan’s horror projects are deeply personal, and The Exorcist will definitely benefit from that individual approach.

What truly makes The Exorcist frightening isn’t its shocking effects, but its focus on the human characters and their struggles. If Mike Flanagan can tap into that emotional core, he might finally overcome the challenges that have plagued The Exorcist franchise for over half a century.

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2025-12-07 20:48