The Exorcist 3

The Exorcist 3 (2025) is a chilling return to form for one of horror’s most iconic franchises. Directed by Mike Flanagan (The Haunting of Hill House, Doctor Sleep), this latest installment revives the psychological dread and theological weight that made the original 1973 classic a cultural phenomenon—while introducing a bold new chapter of terror for modern audiences.

Set over five decades after the events in Georgetown, The Exorcist 3 follows Father Tomas Ortega (Diego Luna), now a disillusioned man living in self-imposed exile after a failed exorcism that ended in tragedy. When reports surface of a seemingly possessed teenage girl in rural Italy—who eerily recites Latin phrases only known to dead priests—Father Tomas is reluctantly pulled back into the shadows of the Church, haunted by guilt and the question of whether true evil ever really dies.

The possessed girl, Sofia (played in a breakout performance by newcomer Chiara Rossi), becomes the central figure of a growing mystery involving Vatican secrets, long-buried relics, and a re-emergence of the demon Pazuzu. Unlike typical possession films, The Exorcist 3 leans more into dread than jump scares, relying on atmospheric tension, unsettling sound design, and slow-burning suspense that seeps under the skin.

Flanagan’s direction is restrained yet masterful. He weaves trauma, faith, and guilt into every frame, crafting a horror film that’s as much about inner demons as it is about literal ones. Themes of spiritual decay, the limits of redemption, and generational sin echo throughout, giving the story a weight that lingers long after the credits roll.

The film also pays homage to its predecessors without falling into nostalgia traps. Subtle references to Regan MacNeil, the original exorcism, and archival audio from Max von Sydow’s Father Merrin are used sparingly but effectively, adding continuity while respecting the past.

In a genre often crowded with cheap thrills and formulaic scripts, The Exorcist 3 (2025) dares to take its time. It’s more cerebral than sensational, more philosophical than flashy—but when it hits, it hits hard. The final exorcism sequence, filmed in a crumbling 14th-century chapel, is one of the most intense and emotionally raw scenes in recent horror history.

Critics have hailed it as the most terrifying entry since the original. Audiences, too, are responding with awe and fear, calling it “a true resurrection of evil.” Whether you're a believer or not, The Exorcist 3 will make you question what’s lurking in the dark.