William Friedkin's The Exorcist and Richard Donner's The Omen are two of the most venerated 1970s horror movies of all time. The former deals with the demonic possession of a little girl, while the latter explores evil incarnate in the form of a boyish antichrist born to unsuspecting parents. Both films won at least one Oscar award and spawned several sequels over multiple decades.
Both the Psycho and Omen franchises consist of five films, eight of which are outright sequels, while one is a remake and one a prequel. With Halloween on the brink, it's time to see how each film stacks up in their respective franchises.
10 Exorcist: The Beginning (2004) 10%
Released one year before Dominion, Exorcist: The Beginning adheres to the same loose storyline as Paul Schrader's version with additional gore added in reshoots by director Renny Harlin.
Morgan Creek ordered the reshoots when Schrader failed to deliver a gory horror movie that financial backers expected. Nearly 90% of the film was reshot, with two key characters from Schrader's version dropped altogether. when the film became a major financial failure, Morgan Creek allowed Schrader the chance to release his equally-rated version.
9 The Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977) 15%
Although Regan MacNeil (Linda Blair) and Father Merrin (Max von Sydow) returned for the sequel, The Heretic is the lowest-rated sequel of either franchise to date. The film currently ranks #98 on IMDB'S Bottom 100.
Directed by John Boorman and Rospo Pallenberg, the film continues Regan's tormented spiritual state as she undergoes radical hypnotherapy. The technique reawakens the Pazuzu demon still hidden in her soul, which seeks to torment those around her. Meanwhile, Father Philip Lamont (Richard Burton) ventures to Africa to learn Merrin's exorcism methods.
8 Omen IV: The Awakening (1991) 17%
Omen IV: The Awakening spins a gender reversal when a little orphan girl adopted by two goodhearted parents turns out to the malefic spawn of satan.
With Damien Thorn long dead, his satanic spirit is suddenly channeled into the soul of Delia (Asia Vieira), a strange young girl adopted by litigators Gene (Michael Woods) and Karen York (Faye Grant). As Delia's erratic behavior escalates, Karen hires an investigator to examine her biological parents' past. Struggling to convince those around her that her daughter is evil, a series of violent fatalities ensue.
7 The Omen (2006) 26%
The only overt remake on this list belongs to The Omen, directed by John Moore and released 30 years after the original. The film stars Liev Schrieber and Julia Stiles as two American parents in Rome who slowly suspect their son Damien (Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick) is the devil in human form.
Following a devastating miscarriage in Rome, Robert and Katherine Thorn opt to adopt a healthy newborn boy whose mother died during childbirth. Happy at first, the two slowly recognize a menacingly violent mean streak in their son.
6 Dominion: Prequel To The Exorcist (2005) 30%
To avoid confusion, there are two different versions of The Exorcist prequel made in 2004-05. One is called Dominion, directed by Paul Schrader. The other is entitled Exorcist: The Beginning, which Paul Schrader was slated to direct but was replaced by Renny Harlin when the cut was deemed to non-commercial by Morgan Creek.
Morgan Creek allowed Schrader to release his cut anyway, which holds the same rating as its re-edited counterpart. Dominion traces young Father Merrin (Stellan Skarsgard) as he contends with the Pazuzu demon in Africa and how it reinforces his devout faith.
5 The Final Conflict (1981) 30%
One of the lesser-known films in either entry belongs to The Final Conflict, which marks the only chapter in the franchise devoid of the Omen title. The film stars Sam Neill as an adult version of Damien Thorn hell-bent on preventing his chief adversary from assuming power.
When the evil Damien learns a new Christ-child is soon dated for birth on Angel Isle in the U.K., he makes a deliberate effort to kill the child before it becomes too omnipotent.
4 Damien: The Omen II (1978) 44%
Seven years after events depicted in the original, 13-year-old Damien (Jonathan Scott-Taylor) is sent to live with his aunt Ann (Lee Grant) and uncle Richard (William Holden) in suburban Chicago.
Upon arrival, Damien is torn between his desire to inherit his family's wealth or continue to murder on behalf of Satan. As the boy's mysterious behavior grows more menacing, Richard tries to quell the evil streak in ways his brother Robert (Gregory Peck) was unable to years prior.
3 The Exorcist III (1990) 59%
Aside from the groundbreaking original, the highest-rated Exorcist sequel (according to RT) is The Exorcist III. One of the reasons why the film is so beloved is that it's directed by William Peter Blatty, author of the original novel.
George C. Scott stars as Lieutenant Kinderman, an investigator assigned to a series of brutal killings that seem to indicate the wetwork of the Gemini Killer. As Kinderman searches for clues, he comes in contact with a prisoner who bears an eerie resemblance to a resurrected Father Karras (Jason Miller), who holds answers to the demonic scourge that began 17 years prior.
2 The Exorcist (1973) 83%
Adjusting for inflation, The Exorcist is the ninth highest-grossing movie ever made. The landmark horror blockbuster was also nominated for 10 Oscars, winning two for Best Adapted Screenplay (William Peter Blatty) and Best Sound.
Directed by William Friedkin, the film traces the domestic upheaval of a quaint Georgetown family when their 12-year-old daughter Regan (Linda Blair) is slowly possessed by a vile demonic entity known as Pazuzu. As Regan's parents turn to the church for help, a crisis in faith, violent murder, and frightening demonic exorcism take place.
1 The Omen (1976) 86%
Richard Donner's The Omen is one of the most critically adored horror films ever made. Written by David Seltzer, the terrifying story follows American ambassador Robert Thorn (Gregory Peck) and his wife Katherine (Lee Remick) who unwittingly adopt the devil incarnate (Harvey Stephens) while stationed in Rome.
In addition to its 7.5/10 IMDB-rating, The Omen currently boasts an 86% Certified Fresh Rotten Tomatoes score. The film also won an Academy Award for Jerry Goldsmith's haunting Original Score.
October 01, 2020 at 05:00AM
https://screenrant.com/every-exorcist-omen-movie-ranked-according-to-rotten-tomatoes/
Every Exorcist & Omen Movie, Ranked According To Rotten Tomatoes - Screen Rant
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