The Exorcism of Emily Rose

The Exorcism of Emily Rose is about a lawyer who takes on a negligent homicide case involving a priest who performed an exorcism on a young girl.

---

Introduction

This is by far the best example of showing a horror film in a flashback kind of style. All things have come to pass and we’re just reliving it through witnesses. Exorcism of Emily Rose will pull you in deep, even though the outcome was shown, you’d want to stick around and hear the story. Directed by Scott Derrickson, he also did The Black Phone (2021), The Gorge (2025), and Sinister (2012) among other great titles.

“The Rev. Moore (Tom Wilkinson) is prosecuted for the wrongful death of a girl thought to be demonically possessed, because he administered the church-sanctioned exorcism that ultimately killed her. Prosecuting attorney Ethan Thomas (Campbell Scott) contends that the young woman, Emily (Jennifer Carpenter), suffered from schizophrenia and should have been medically diagnosed. Meanwhile, defense lawyer Erin Bruner (Laura Linney) argues that Emily’s condition cannot be explained by science alone.”

Characters

Laura Linney (as Erin Bruner) as the agnostic Defense Attorney played her role well. Acting very professionally and doesn’t show any fear of anything, yet when faced with things unknown to her, all her walls comes crashing down and reveals her vulnerable self. This was a better casting than that of Renée Zellweger in Case 39 (2009).

Tom Wilkinson (as Father Moore) was a great choice for a priest. His presence was felt even though he doesn’t do anything that would stand out easily. He was true to his role and he doesn’t do anything that a priest wouldn’t normally do.

Jennifer Carpenter (as Emily Rose), what can I say, she has cemented her role in the horror genre. I could find no fault in her every performance. Her screams were harrowing and bloodcurdling and I couldn’t ask for a better one, it was perfectly primal. Even her fear felt authentic that you couldn’t help but feel for her. Carpenter is definitely in top 3 of female horror icons.

Unique Storytelling

This was the time when a number of possession movies kept popping up everywhere that the genre felt too saturated. So when I saw this, it was like a breath of fresh air, they told it flashback-style. Even though we only saw the highlights of Emily’s possession, it was so worth it because it was told in a proper way. And it was in no way confusing.

Horrific Effects

Carpenter really brought her A-game here. Her interpretation of Emily Rose’s character was very disturbing, not in a degrading way, but it was so scary, it became disturbing. Best and most horrific scene for me was when she was counting “1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6” repeatedly.

Based on a True Story

The Exorcism of Emily Rose is actually based on a true story about Anneliese Michel (photo above is before and after), a young German woman in the 1970s who underwent a series of exorcisms, leading to her death in 1976 from malnutrition and dehydration. The film portrays the courtroom trial of her parents and priest.

Final Thoughts

The Exorcism of Emily Rose is definitely one of the best horror films that came out during the 2000s. You could feel the terror in Carpenter’s eyes and her voice, you can’t help but feel sorry for her. Highly recommended.