Exorcist II: The Heretic

An often astonishingly terrible and inept sequel, Exorcist II: The Heretic follows Richard Burton’s Father Philip Lamont as he’s tasked with investigating the death of Max von Sydow’s Father Merrin from the original film – with the loopy narrative also incorporating Regan MacNeil (Linda Blair) and her efforts at moving past the horrific possession. It’s worth noting that Exorcist II: The Heretic opens with a fair degree of promise, as director John Boorman kicks the proceedings off with a relatively engaging stretch detailing Burton’s character’s exploits and his initial encounter with Regan. The inclusion of an overlong and somewhat interminable hypnosis sequence brings the movie’s momentum to a dead stop, essentially, and there’s little doubt that Exorcist II: The Heretic becomes less and less interesting as time slowly progresses, with Boorman’s decision to pepper the story with a series of pointless flashbacks undoubtedly exacerbating the already-tedious vibe. Equally problematic is Boorman’s growing emphasis on elements of a decidedly (and aggressively) nonsensical and avant-garde nature, as the majority of Exorcist II: The Heretic second half is devoted to ludicrously off-the-wall subplots that increasingly alienate the viewer and ensure that the movie, particularly in its final, incoherent stretch, fizzles out long before reaching its laughably overblown climax – with the film’s complete and total failure certainly forcing one to look at the comparatively masterful original in a whole new light.

1/2* out of ****