Lt. William F. Kinderman (George C. Scott) finds a psych-ward patient claiming to be the Gemini Killer…a sadistic murderer executed fifteen years earlier. And one huge curveball: the locked-up lunatic looks just like the deceased Father Damien Karras from the first Exorcist movie. Murders matching the killer’s very specific M.O. are happening and Kinderman must unravel the mystery before he and his loved ones become the next victims.
This movie superbly substitutes psychological tension for gore, and has many entertaining dialogues between Kinderman and the killer, as well as with other characters. No cheap jump scares here, and no blood splatters, brains, and intestines spilling out — but implied violent deaths left to the imagination. The scary parts shown onscreen are set up and paid off very effectively.
The Exorcist III proves sometimes less is more when it comes to horror, and that engaging with the main characters will always be important no matter the genre.
