Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist

R

Released May 20, 2005

1h 51m

Horror

List

30%

44 Reviews

Tomatometer

25%

10,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Haunted by terrible acts the Nazis forced him to participate in, the disenchanted Father Lankester Merrin (Stellan Skarsgard) focuses his energies on helping with an archaeological dig in the northern part of Kenya. There, the crew uncovers a church that predates Christian missions into the area, but the discovery also causes strange events to start occurring -- including physical changes to a young, disabled boy (Billy Crawford), whom Merrin grows to suspect has been possessed by a demon.

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Critics Consensus

While director Schrader's attempt at a literate, internal exposition on evil temptations and human sin is admirable, this prequel suffers from hit-and-miss psychological tension, poor visual effects, and weak writing -- an overambitious failure of a horror movie.

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Elvis D

Es curioso que la precuela de The Exorcist haya tenido dos versiones que, de no haber sido dividida, sin duda hubiera sido una de las mejores entregas de la franquicia. Dominion fue lanzada solo para compensar el injusto fracaso de la versión publicada en los cines. Esta precuela alterna es una rareza llamativa para los amantes de esta franquicia, ya que tiene cosas que son mejores que la versión entrenada, pero que no son suficientes para volverla una mejor versión de la precuela. Esta versión tiene un mejor guion que profundiza más el cruel pasado de Merrin durante sus días en la segunda guerra mundial que lo llevaron a tener una crisis de fe y además, hay un mejor desarrollo respeto al conflicto que se desata en Sudáfrica por la educación cristiana y la llegada de los soldados británicos. Además, esta película es más cruda con escenas más fuertes y más gore incluido. Sin duda, es una película que pudo haber sido una digna entrega para la franquicia. El problema yace en las modificaciones que se agregaron para no reutilizar algunos elementos ya vistos en la versión estrenada. No solo cambiaron al individuo poseído, sino que quitaron la estatua de Pazuzu y su fragmento. Estos elementos eran esenciales para mantener el canon y la continuidad con la película original. Incluso Pazuzu no tiene ese macabro humor irónico que lo caracteriza tanto y se lo ve como una entidad mucho más paciente y calculadora. Debido a eso, es complicado encontrar la conexión canónica que esta película puede tener con The Exorcist. La versión estrenada mantuvo esos elementos esenciales y por eso es la mejor versión de esta precuela que logra aferrarse más a la continuidad de la película original. Si bien la versión estrenada no tuvo para nada el mejor CGI, en esta versión los efectos digitales son más evidentes y se notan más. Eso es debido a que los productores no quisieron agregar más presupuesto para mejorar la calidad de los efectos. Nada más el guion, los efectos de maquillaje y Stellan Skarsgard son lo que mantienen esta película a flote. Dominion hubiera logrado ser una digna precuela de no haber sido rechazada al principio y de no haber sido reeditada para hacer la versión que se estrenó en los cines. Al final, es solo una pieza interesante de colección para los fanáticos de The Exorcist. Mi calificación final para esta película es un 8/10.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

10/10/23

Full Review

KerryWhite's S

Rating: 6/10. 60/100

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

10/03/23

Full Review

Sahooon C

I didn't realise this is the same story as "exorcist the beginning" this film is better out of the 2 but still not mind blowing. Definitely not missing anything if you skip this one. Not scary barely a thriller

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

08/30/23

Full Review

Jeffrey C

We just wanted an updated version of The Exorcist, with better special effects... We didn't get it.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

04/28/23

Full Review

Kyle M

Between the two alternations of providing a prequel to "The Exorcist", this one seems better connected to what lined up the original on different terrains, but equally messy through the merits namely the visual effects and somewhat the cinematography as noted during the climax. While the 1973 original may be applauded over its inventiveness but disgusted over its disturbances, it can't be argued with admitted appreciativeness at how much this truest envisioned prequel seems to be the second-best chapter of the milked franchise. The priorly released prequel is an obligated statement underlining genericity rather than interconnected distinctiveness, and it turned out a bloody, uninspired mess. There's coherency in this revision with captivating confrontations and intriguing differences towards the events that were altered back to what was supposed to be told. It's not scary but remains disturbing and memorably better as a performative showcase for Skarsgard willing to re-enact his role under a slightly different story with better told events. (C+)

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

10/26/22

Full Review

Oliver C

Hit and miss psyological tension Poor visual effects Weak writing

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

08/21/22

Full Review

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Paul Schrader

Director

Stellan Skarsgård

Father Merrin

Gabriel Mann

Father Francis

Clara Bellar

Rachel Lesno

Ralph Brown

Sergeant Major

Andrew French

Chuma

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In Other News…Russell Crowe, Angelina Jolie, Lindsay Lohan and Dominion’s Woes

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Empire Magazine

Rated: 3/5

Apr 1, 2006

Full Review

Leslie Felperin

Variety

Schrader's intelligent, quietly subversive pic emphasizes spiritual agony over horror ecstasy, while paying occasional lip-service to the need for scares.

May 26, 2005

Full Review

Richard Roeper

Ebert & Roeper

The frights, the scares, they just weren't there.

May 24, 2005

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: C

Aug 25, 2012

Full Review

Tim Brayton

Antagony & Ecstasy

I can't call it a success, but it is certainly an outstanding failure, an attempt to broaden the horizons of a stale genre with real discussion of the matters that consume its maker.

Rated: 6/10

Jun 7, 2011

Full Review

Felix Vasquez Jr.

Cinema Crazed

It's true "Dominion" is a better prequel than "The Beginning", but in the end, that's not really saying much in either case.

Apr 29, 2009

Full Review

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Synopsis

Haunted by terrible acts the Nazis forced him to participate in, the disenchanted Father Lankester Merrin (Stellan Skarsgard) focuses his energies on helping with an archaeological dig in the northern part of Kenya. There, the crew uncovers a church that predates Christian missions into the area, but the discovery also causes strange events to start occurring -- including physical changes to a young, disabled boy (Billy Crawford), whom Merrin grows to suspect has been possessed by a demon.

Director: Paul Schrader
Producer: Guy McElwaine
Screenwriter: Caleb Carr, William Wisher Jr.
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: Morgan Creek Productions, Warner Bros.
Rating: R (Strong Violence|Disturbing Images)
Genre: Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 20, 2005, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 3, 2009
Box Office (Gross USA): $41.8M
Runtime: 1h 51m
Sound Mix: Surround

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