This 2004 Horror Prequel Gave Us the Origin for One of the Scariest Movies Ever Made

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Four years after I witnessed the chilling impact of “The Exorcist” in theaters towards the end of 1973, it was clear that this film had taken on a life of its own, becoming an unstoppable cultural force. It was only a matter of time before spin-offs set within the same world were released. A direct sequel, titled “Exorcist II: The Heretic,” hit the screens in 1977, while a somewhat connected follow-up, known as “The Exorcist III,” appeared in 1990.

It took three decades following the initial movie for viewers to witness a prequel that paved the way for the climactic demonic battle depicted in The Exorcist. Released during the summer of 2004, the prequel titled Exorcist: The Beginning (now available on SYFY) unfolded an earlier tale of possession within the same universe and provided a chilling origin story for one of the most frightening films ever produced.

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How The Beginning set up The Exorcist

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Initially, in the movie “The Exorcist”, Father Lankester Merrin (Max von Sydow) is engaged in an archaeological expedition in the Middle East. There, he unearths a statue depicting the malevolent spirit Pazuzu. From the outset, it’s evident that there’s a past connection between this specific demon and this particular priest, a link that will prove crucial later in the story, as Merrin travels to Georgetown to perform an exorcism on Regan MacNeil (Linda Blair), a girl who appears to be under the influence of the same demon Merrin had encountered earlier.

In “Exorcist: The Beginning,” filmmakers aimed to create an origin tale for the character Merrin (played by Stellan Skarsgård), who is both an exorcist and has a history with the evil entity Pazuzu. To accomplish this, screenwriters William Wisher, Caleb Carr, and later Alexi Hawley constructed a narrative centered around an archaeological excavation in Kenya during British rule in the late 1940s. The story unfolds as Merrin, a priest who lost faith in God after witnessing the horrors of World War II in Europe, works as an archaeologist in Cairo. He later accepts a job from a collector of antiquities to travel to Kenya and retrieve a supposedly demonic artifact found at the excavation site there.

During an archaeological excavation, Merrin and his team discover what seems to be a complete, purposefully buried Byzantine church – an unexpected find in this region since Christianity didn’t spread here until after the time period from which the church originates. Intriguingly designed elements of the church, such as several angel statues with spears pointing downwards suggestively guarding something, lead Merrin to hypothesize that the church was constructed to entomb some demonic entity beneath it, and ultimately he uncovers a cave adorned with sinister figures and an area that appears to have been used for human sacrifices.

It’s evident that something wicked is hiding within the cave, placing Merrin and their group in grave peril, especially when the villagers start experiencing bizarre physical and mental symptoms that seem linked to the excavation. To combat this evil, Merrin needs to reconnect with his faith, take on the role of an exorcist for the first time, and vanquish the demonic force lurking beneath the church.

25 years prior to the initial film, “The Beginning” delves into Merrin’s arduous journey of reclaiming his faith and the profound implications of confronting a demon like Pazuzu. The evil portrayed is of Biblical proportions, even surpassing what he encounters in “The Exorcist”. Although this prequel film only subtly references the 1973 original through Merrin’s character, it is an essential watch for “Exorcist” enthusiasts seeking a deeper understanding of Merrin’s persona.

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2025-04-16 21:31