No, The Exorcism has nothing to do with The Pope’s Exorcist. But strange as it is to consider Russell Crowe playing another priest with the ability to help possessed individuals, even stranger is that Joshua John Miller’s film is surprisingly pretty good.

Things get off to a promising start with one of the better opening scenes in recent memory, which follows an actor rehearsing alone on the set of a remake of The Exorcist and meeting a tragic end. The thespian’s demise right before filming commences opens the door for troubled former superstar Tony (Crowe) to attempt his big comeback, and he finds a champion in director Peter (Adam Goldberg), who believes the lapsed Catholic seeking redemption is the perfect man for the role.

This component fits nicely with Miller’s larger fantasia on the history of freaky shit happening on the set of demonic movies — including The Exorcist, which starred his father Jason Miller as Father Karras — as well as the type of people who are cast in remakes, among them pop star/vampire TV show actor Blake (real-life pop star and actor Chloe Bailey).

These meta elements allow The Exorcism to essentially serve as the Scream of exorcism movies, particularly as Tony’s history as an abused altar boy comes to light and he starts seeing spooky things. Though clearly due to demonic possession, which on-set consultant Father Conor (David Hyde Pierce, stealing every scene) dismisses, Tony’s erratic behavior is mistaken for a drug and/or alcohol relapse and not taking his meds, and while its onset is somewhat clumsy, it mostly works.

Larger issues arise in the film’s increasingly dark cinematography, which obscures the performances and cheapens some fairly solid genre work by Crowe. The sudden visual inconsistency occasionally makes The Exorcism feel like two different movies, which it technically is due to a production delay induced by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Australian wildfires that rendered Crowe unavailable for reshoots.

The film’s compromised nature is tough to deny, yet the imagination and ingenuity on display for much of its runtime renders it a worthwhile view overall. That it was shot primarily in Wilmington also doesn’t hurt, but if you can discern any coastal landmarks amid the plentiful studio shots, you may want to get yourself checked for signs of possession.

B-minus. Rated R. Now playing at AMC River Hills 10, Carolina Cinemark, and Regal Biltmore Grande.

(Photo: Miramax)