The Exorcism of Emily Rose

Scott Derrickson kicks William Friedkin's ass with the exorcism scene alone, but the positives don't end there. It is true that the courtroom intrigue is routine, but it’s not going to offend the more modest viewer, and thus the film’s main asset is the actual rendezvous with the forces of darkness. It’s filmed so perfectly that the producers of any ghost story remakes should get a little technical training from Derrickson. Derrickson does good work with the camera, music, and sound, meaning that many passages are very pleasantly chilling. Of the actors, the famed Tom Wilkinson clearly carries the film, but it's Jennifer Carpenter's creation that makes my chin drop. It's unfortunate about the cautious approach to the Church itself, more controversy would not have been a bad thing. Although it is a fact that it’s better this way, rather than poser shouting into the dark, as we see elsewhere. The result is a surprisingly clever and skillful film that won't cause you to have sleep problems, it will in a sense please you. (2008-07-22)

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%. (2009-04-18)

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. (2011-07-05)

Surprisingly very decent. If it weren't for the corny phrases during the "horror" passages, I would even dare to use the word authentic. It helps a lot that the point of the film is not about scares, but rather about the reconstruction of the trial with Father Moore and a rather interesting dilemma about whether to believe the facts or admit the supernatural. The atmosphere is dense, and it’s really a pity that the film tries to evoke the impression of the devil's existence in a nickel-and-dime way, without any invention. (2008-04-01)

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. (2005-10-26)