Dominion: The Prequel to the Exorcist(Review)

There was not one but two different prequels to the Exorcist, Exorcist: The Beginning and Dominion: The Prequel to The Exorcist. We will be discussing the latter which is a more serious take on discussion of faith.

The plot delves into the past of Father Merrin who is haunted by terrible acts he was forced to witness. He is struggling with his faith in God, and decides to help on an archeological dig in Kenya. They discover a church, and shortly after, a boy is possessed and miraculously healed. But the priest soon learns it is not God responsible but something more ancient and evil.

One thing this movie does is focus more on the conflicts at hand and removes the supernatural. The battle between good and evil doesn’t really manifest until the last moments of the movie.
Then you have the turmoil between the Kenyan tribe and British soldiers who have a misunderstanding that just escalates until it boils over into almost war between the two.

Then Pazuzu comes along and the battle for a boy’s eternal soul begins.

What was questionable is the effects in the movie, it just felt weird with the use of computer animation at times.
The film itself isn’t too thrilling. We get more of an understanding of Father Merrin’s internal struggles. But it’s understood why this movie got passed up and Exorcist: The Beginning got released which will have to look at that one as well. Because this film felt like you were watching paint dry at times. There was a romantic subplot that kind of went nowhere. It was okay but definitely seen better Exorcist movies.

Dominion: The Prequel To The Exorcist is currently streaming on Shudder if you want to take a look at it.

Till next time, Happy Halloween!
-Tha Thrilla