The Exorcism of Emily Rose

A notch better than The Exorcist, which doesn’t have even a drop of rational explanation and the viewer must believe in the supernatural, whether they like it or not. The Exorcism of Emily Rose is much more variable and tries to look at things from different perspectives. The judicial aspect cleverly helps with this in the present, allowing us to listen to alternative opinions of people not directly involved with the accused. The theme is very interesting overall and very well executed. The exorcism scenes are incredibly explosive and captivating (far surpassing The Exorcist), effectively pinning the viewer to their seat. Equally impressive are Christopher Young's musical motifs, which create a perfect nerve-wracking atmosphere. And last but not least, we have Laura Linney's performance. A serious film about a serious topic, but one that looks at it with a cool head, and that is appreciated. (25/06/2006)

The Exorcism of Emily Rose serves up proper portions of impressive chills, for which – as in The Grudge – composer Christopher Young deserves a lot of credit. However, these very effective elements of modern horror are overshadowed by a courtroom drama that begs to be handled more intelligently and in a more dignified manner. The theme, which elevates the film above the current crowd of mediocre horror movies, is used only superficially by the filmmakers, who thus miss the mark. In comparison with Friedkin’s The Exorcist, this film is merely a skillfully shot diversion based on a mediocre screenplay. (26/10/2005)

A fine courtroom drama with an interesting and attractive premise, from which I will only remember the absolutely brilliant ten-minute or so scene of the actual exorcism of Emily Rose. It doesn't let you breathe and becomes a clear highlight of scenes of this kind, including The Exorcist. (02/12/2005)

Within the genre, this is quite an atypical, one could even say original, horror thanks to the combination of a classic theme of demonic possession with a courtroom drama, where the scriptwriter and director provocatively work with the possibility of the existence of irrational supernatural evil in our material world within the framework of the trial. Flashbacks, editing, and music help create a truly oppressive atmosphere, and the excellent cast helped create an above-average genre film. I admit that I had a bit of a problem with the irrational level embedded in our modern world when the film does not appear as a stylized horror fairy tale, but as a story from reality, due to my enlightenment and modernity as a child. Overall impression: 75%. (18/04/2009)

My skepticism towards the easily outdated topic disappeared when Laura Linney first appeared and the seemingly unbelievable intention to connect a courtroom drama with a horror started to fit into the presented concept naturally and simply. When the courtroom storyline becomes too straightforward, we are given a convincing insert by the twisting Jennifer Carpenter, and when similar scenes exceed the tolerable limit, we return to another hearing. Moreover, the formula "based on true events" works reliably this time as well, and during this brisk, but above all, unpredictable film, theological and philosophical dilemmas were running through my mind non-stop. So mainly for that, I must give Exorcism a big salute, not to mention the long-awaited climax in court. (04/04/2006)