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Exorcist II: The Heretic

Play trailer 1:42 Poster for Exorcist II: The Heretic R Released Jun 17, 1977 1h 57m Horror Play Trailer Watchlist
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10% Tomatometer 68 Reviews 13% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
Owing to his experience with exorcisms, Father Lamont (Richard Burton) is chosen by his superiors to investigate the death of Father Merrin (Max von Sydow), who died during the exorcism of young Regan MacNeil (Linda Blair). Lamont finds Regan under the psychiatric care of Dr. Tuskin (Louise Fletcher). By hypnotizing the girl, he is able to learn that Merrin previously exorcised the same demon from a boy in Africa. Hoping for answers, Lamont travels to Africa in search of the youth.
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Exorcist II: The Heretic

Exorcist II: The Heretic

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Critics Consensus

Hokey mystical effects, lousy plotting, and worse acting directly tarnishes the first's chilling legacy.

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Critics Reviews

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Pauline Kael The New Yorker There’s enough visual magic in it for a dozen good movies; what the picture lacks is judgment -- the first casualty of the moviemaking obsession. Sep 18, 2023 Full Review David Robinson Financial Times A rather costly load of old nonsense, distinguished mainly by fine colour photography. Oct 27, 2021 Full Review David Pirie Time Out The theme is attacked with engaging intensity, and Boorman brings off more than one visual coup (notably the ingenious locust photography in the African sequences). Dennis Wheatley fans, at least, will love it. Oct 27, 2021 Full Review Eddie Harrison film-authority.com …it takes real talent to make a truly awful movie; viewing Exorcist II is like viewing the ruins of a temple to an unknown god, a brain-boggling, dreamlike, profoundly mystifying experience… Rated: 2/5 May 15, 2025 Full Review Grant Watson Fiction Machine Here’s an interesting question: when it comes to sequels, which would you prefer? A boring success, or an interesting failure? Rated: 4/10 Jan 23, 2025 Full Review David Reddish CBR Watching a director attempt something wild and different, even when they fail, will hold interest more than any decent but mediocre and forgettable movie ever could. Call this particular sequel a disaster, but don’t call it boring. Rated: 2/4 Nov 19, 2024 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Alec B Exorcist II: The Heretic is a baffling, disjointed sequel that squanders the chilling power of the original. I struggled to stay focused throughout the entire movie, and the plot was so mishapen, it drowns viewers in incoherent mysticism and stilted dialogue. The film’s special effects feel dated and awkward, even compared to the first film. The returning cast is talented, but they still couldn't salvage the clunky pacing or bizarre tonal shifts. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 09/06/25 Full Review Matheus P Exorcist II: The Heretic is, without a doubt, a major disappointment. The film bears little to no meaningful connection with the original classic The Exorcist. Its narrative is disorganized, confusing, and lacks coherence, resulting in a storyline that fails to engage or captivate the audience. The screenplay is exceedingly weak, the special effects are ill-conceived, and in many instances only worsen the viewing experience. The lack of consistency is evident in virtually every aspect of the production, rendering it a chaotic and poorly executed film. In short, Exorcist II: The Heretic fails on all fronts: it does not entertain, it does not frighten, and it certainly does not honor the legacy of its predecessor. It is a work of such poor quality that it arguably should never have been made. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 08/16/25 Full Review Kid R. Wow this is why sequels shouldn’t exist Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 08/04/25 Full Review Nick O A truly bizarre piece of WTF cinema! Seriously, this flick is out to lunch. Especially when you put it next to the first film…but hey, who doesn’t love a spectacle! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/09/25 Full Review babarizam D I think this movie is highly misunderstood because it doesn't fit in horror genre. A great investigative work of The Exorcism performed in previous movie . Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/20/25 Full Review Alexander S No one knows what’s happening in the film. Exorcist II: The Heretic lulls us into a trance with its convoluted plot, which is filled with a series of random, bizarre sequences that have nothing to do with The Exorcist, intended to give this film’s scares, but they only serve to highlight the film’s poor writing. Another instance where a film is so bad that it can be watchable because of its sheer awfulness. Grading: D- Rated 1 out of 5 stars 02/16/25 Full Review Read all reviews
Exorcist II: The Heretic

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Movie Info

Synopsis Owing to his experience with exorcisms, Father Lamont (Richard Burton) is chosen by his superiors to investigate the death of Father Merrin (Max von Sydow), who died during the exorcism of young Regan MacNeil (Linda Blair). Lamont finds Regan under the psychiatric care of Dr. Tuskin (Louise Fletcher). By hypnotizing the girl, he is able to learn that Merrin previously exorcised the same demon from a boy in Africa. Hoping for answers, Lamont travels to Africa in search of the youth.
Director
John Boorman
Producer
John Boorman, Richard Lederer
Screenwriter
William Goodhart
Production Co
Warner Brothers/Seven Arts
Rating
R
Genre
Horror
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 17, 1977, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 19, 2016
Runtime
1h 57m
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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