The Exorcism of Emily Rose

This unorthodox horror film is elevated by the decent performances and Christopher Young’s excellent music. A few eerie shots, especially in the first half, successfully try to establish a sense of mounting tension and dread, but as the trial comes into focus, we are no longer watching the ghost story we expected, but an ambitious psychological drama that tries to impress the viewer as much as possible with the fact that this actually happened. But that doesn't change the fact that Scott Derrickson is obviously a very skilled filmmaker who can portray even a trial more than engagingly, and the film, despite its length, passes like water. And I mustn't forget to highlight the performance of Jennifer Carpenter, whose gestures and tortured looks really gave me chills and who managed to increase the momentum and authenticity of this unpolished work. (05/07/2011)

My skepticism towards the easily outdated topic disappeared when Laura Linney first appeared and the seemingly unbelievable intention to connect a courtroom drama with a horror movie started to fit into the presented concept naturally and simply. When the courtroom storyline becomes too straightforward, we are given a compelling insert of the twisting Jennifer Carpenter; when similar scenes exceed the limits of tolerability, 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, not to mention the long-awaited climax in court, I must give The Exorcism of Emily Rose a big salute. (04/04/2006)

I love courtroom dramas and I love horror movies. And to mix a courtroom drama with exorcism horror along with the signature of one of the best horror directors, Scott Derrickson? Score one! Laura Linney is brilliant and believable as the defense attorney, and the whole story is simple but so suspenseful and engagingly delivered that you are glued to your seat from beginning to end just waiting for the final verdict. It's an atmospherically captivating film that takes place in a courtroom rather than the horror section that the film is more or less just spiced up with, but as a whole it works well and I don't have much to fault it for. (11/07/2022)

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)

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)