Directed by: Scott Derrickson

Starring: Laura Linney, Tom Wilkinson, Campbell Scott, and Jennifer Carpenter
Rarely do films ever seem to depict something from two different angles in an intelligent manner. It’s even rarer (probably even nonexistant) in the genre of horror. Most horror has been of the variety that either goes for good B-movie frills (Cabin Fever) or just generically copy off the genre for a quick buck (well, name any of the other horror features that came out recently other than this one). But there’s something much smarter in this portrayal in The Exorcism of Emily Rose. Instead of merely providing cheap jump-out-of-your-seat frills, it backs the things up with a logical explanation from both the supernatural side and the skeptical side.

There’s also some rather solid acting from actors that are actually talented like Laura Linney, Campbell Scott, and Tom Wilkinson. And even the odd horror moments do have their effect. They are rather freaky and will achieve the goal of popcorn horror. Yet the fascination is the much more polished thing in this feature. And any film that can get me discussing the idea of exorcism, religion, and skepticism is a film that has succeeded at its goal. Finally, Screen Gems delivers its first good feature since Snatch. And it’s about damn time!