The performances are good, and I can see how this series might benefit from time spent on developing its characters so that you wind up caring more for the priests and afflicted family, but there's still so much lost in translation by taking this story to TV as this premiere episode relies more on jump scares to shake the viewer than anything else. There's literally a scene where Tomas turns and gets startled by Angela. It's not a typical cat-jump, but I was amused that the episode resorted to its characters inadvertently scaring each other. I suppose, given FOX's supernatural M.O. these days, we should just be thankful that this series doesn't involve an exorcist getting paired with a cop to solve weekly demon-related crimes.
The performances are good, and I can see how this series might benefit from time spent on developing its characters so that you wind up caring more for the priests and afflicted family, but there's still so much lost in translation by taking this story to TV as this premiere episode relies more on jump scares to shake the viewer than anything else. There's literally a scene where Tomas turns and gets startled by Angela. It's not a typical cat-jump, but I was amused that the episode resorted to its characters inadvertently scaring each other. I suppose, given FOX's supernatural M.O. these days, we should just be thankful that this series doesn't involve an exorcist getting paired with a cop to solve weekly demon-related crimes.
Verdict
The Exorcist is an earnest attempt to bring the gloom and doom of demon possession to serialized TV, but too often this pilot episode resorts to cheap jumps than allowing the story to soak in true terror. Despite an interesting little swerve at the end, the story's also rather bland, offering up little that's new to the horror landscape.
The Exorcist: Series Premiere Review
okay
FOX falls short while trying to to drum up scares with its bland-ish Exorcist adaptation.
Matt Fowler