Exorcist - The Beginning

A film with a very colourful history, The Exorcist: The Beginning, a prequel to the events of the 1973 film, was to set to be directed by Paul Schrader. His version was rejected by the studio bosses - reportedly for not being scary or graphic enough - and was re-shot by Renny Harlin. It is, of course, impossible to pass judgement on Schrader's version, but it's hard to believe that it was any worse than the one Harlin has delivered. For this is a schlocky, pedestrian affair lacking any real sense of drama and, consequentially, horror.

The Beginning focuses on a young Merrin (Skarsgard), the same character Max von Sydow plays in the later film. Tortured by what he saw in the Second World War, Merrin has lost his faith and abandoned the church. For reasons best known to himself, he accepts a Vatican sponsored assignment, and goes to Kenya where a perfectly preserved church has been discovered under the shifting sands. The catch? The building predates Christianity's dominance in the region by a thousand years. Indeed, as the excavation of the church continues, it becomes clear that malevolent forces are at work. Could it be Satan himself? Go on, have a guess...

For a film pertaining to be all about faith, Harlin shows a distinct lack of it in his audience. Displaying little understanding of the mechanics of horror, he's a sloppy director, unable to wring any modicum of tension out of the, admittedly, second-hand screenplay. Give it a miss.