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Exorcist: The Beginning Review

Other Critics provided by Metacritic.com

Critics scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 2.0
    30

    out of 100

    Metascore®
    Generally unfavorable reviews
    based on a weighted average of all
    critic review scores.

  • 30

    out of 100

    The New York Times Manohla Dargis

    The risible dialogue, the bulging eyeballs, the heaving bosoms, the digitally rendered hyenas and squirming maggots, the movie fails to achieve the status of the instant camp classic. That's partly because the vibe of the film is too torpid.

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  • 30

    out of 100

    The Hollywood Reporter Kirk Honeycutt

    The scariest thing about this film is how desperate the makers are to earn a scream.

    Read Full Review

  • 40

    out of 100

    Variety Joe Leydon

    Earns points simply for not being bad enough to leave a stain on the screen. Unfortunately, this annoyingly disjointed shocker stumbles badly after promising early scenes, and quickly devolves into a chaotic blur of underdeveloped characters, illogical transitions and standard-issue scary-movie tropes.

    Read Full Review

  • 42

    out of 100

    Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman

    The new movie is a dusty piñata stuffed with omens and not much more.

    Read Full Review

  • 50

    out of 100

    Los Angeles Times

    A perfectly mediocre horror film. There is some hoot-inducing dialogue and cheesy effects, but the film's workmanlike narrative marches gamely forward, managing a handful of respectable scares along the way.

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  • 50

    out of 100

    Chicago Tribune Michael Wilmington

    The movie goes too far on too little motivation - and the middle section, with its maggoty villains, roiling skies and native revolts, seems almost barmy. Yet Exorcist: Beginning does score a small victory. It's not as bad as you'd think.

  • See all Exorcist: The Beginning reviews at Metacritic.com

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For Families provided by Common Sense Media

Iffy for 16+

Brutal. Not for kids.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that from the opening scene of bloody bodies stabbed and crucified across Kenyan soil, viewers are in for a brutal blood bath. Know that there is very graphic violence including a child being mauled by hyenas, a dead baby covered in maggots and someone slitting his throat.

  • Families can talk about violence in horror films. How much is necessary, and how much should be left to the imagination? Are films with more guts and gore scarier than more subtle films?

The good stuff
  • message true0

    Messages: Characters are racist and misogynist -- and the film shows more vivid violence against Africans.

What to watch for
  • violence false5

    Violence: Sickening graphic scenes including hyenas mauling a small child and baby born dead and covered in maggots.

  • sex false3

    Sex: The beautiful doctor faces harassment, and sex and violence mix in the final showdown.

  • language false5

    Language: Not too terrible until the very end when a possessed character spews a number of profanities at once.

  • consumerism false0

    Consumerism: Not an issue

  • drugsalcoholtobacco false3

    Drinking, drugs and smoking: There's some heavy drinking.

An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology.

© Common Sense Media Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.

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Fan Reviews provided by

Average Rating: 3.245
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3

by lizcass

Read all Exorcist: The Beginning reviews at Fandango
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