Tag: the exorcist

Top Horror TV Shows

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Hannibal (2013) – The show that prompted me to do this list. I wish it had a fourth season! Bryan Fuller’s television shows all need to be longer. (Justice for Pushing Daisies, anyone?!) The acting in this series is phenomenal. Mads Mikkelsen and Hugh Dancy have always been two of my favourite actors and getting them in the same show was just wonderful. I know there’s talk of a fourth season on going, so there’s still hope! This show is downright horrifying, but it’s so well done with the atmosphere and twists and music. All of it adds to the spooky factor.

Bates Motel (2013) – [longer review] – Hands down one of my all time favourites, even if it really does leave you feel disastrously blue by the end. These poor characters get put through the ringer again and again and again. Dylan is definitely my favourite of the characters, but the actors are all so fabulous even when the characters leave you reeling.

The Exorcist (2016) – [longer review] – TWO SEASONS IS NOT ENOUGH. There were so many things to like about this show. Again, the characters. I just loved the two priests who were the mains, but the side characters were all great, too.

Zone Blanche (2017) – [longer review] – The fact that this ends on more or less a cliffhanger drives me barmy. It’s just so good!! Still, even if the storylines aren’t wholly wrapped up, I still recommend giving it a whirl. A very ~misty small town noir~ type of horror.

The X-Files (1993) – A classic. An original. Perfection. I feel like X-Files straddles the line of sci-fi/horror well, but so many of the episodes are utterly disconcerting or scary that it just has to be on the list. Mulder and Scully are such heroes and, of course, totally meant for each other ♡♡♡

Supernatural (2005) – Very much the legacy of The X-Files and one of my favourite shows growing up. I have no doubt that Supernatural will become a classic, too. I think it’s also now the longest fantasy show? I could be wrong, but it’s up there! Now, I can’t speak for the later seasons, but I pretty much stopped watching after season five, which was the original planned ending, but the early seasons are so perfectly done. So spooky. Just fabulous.

Fear the Walking Dead (2015) – [longer review] – Yes, I liked it more than The Walking Dead. I never thought I would. But I like the multi-country focus of TWD. I liked the focus on family. There’s great diversity/rep. We see more of the world of TWD than we got to see in the original. While I think season one of TWD is phenomenal, it lost me somewhere along the way. Too many of my favourite characters died. I still like it, but I think FTWD is that little bit more my preference. I still have to catch up on this one, but so far it’s my favourite of the universe. I haven’t really tried World Beyond, but I’m sure I will eventually.

Slasher (2016) – [longer review] – Scared. The. Crap. Out. Of. Me. I originally gave it a go because of Katie McGrath, but it’s also very well written and keeps you on the edge of your seat. I haven’t watched the other seasons (it’s an anthology), but I’ve heard good things! It’s still on my list to be finished.

Mini Reviews: The Possession (2012) & It (2017)

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I’ve been on something of an Exorcist themed kick after watching the television show. I’m currently reading the book for the first time, which I’m really enjoying so far, but I’m also checking out movies of the like. The Possession was pretty good!

The Possession tells the story of Clyde and Stephanie, who are recently divorced and sharing custody of their kids, Emily and Hannah. When Clyde brings their daughters to a yard sale, Emily picks up an old wooden box with Hebrew writing on it. Little does she know the box is haunted by a dybbuk. Emily begins to act stranger and stranger — moths gather in her room, raw meat is consumed, she gets more and more withdrawn. Clyde realises something isn’t right with his daughter and sets out to help her.

What I really appreciated about this movie was that the characters turned to a Hasidic Jew for help with the exorcism, which is something I haven’t come across much in exorcism plots before. Instead of Latin, there’s Hebrew. It was really nice to see and I liked the different take on an exorcism. Apparently it’s based on a true story as well. CREEPY.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan was, as usual, wonderful in this. Really, the whole cast was great. The actress who played Emily (Natasha Calis) did an especially brilliant job!

I’d definitely recommend this to fans of horror!

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I followed my watch of The Possession with It. I don’t even think I could attempt to review It with anything coherent because Pennywise is going to be haunting my dreams for eternity. But it was definitely all levels of YIKES. Really well acted, though. Very impressed! I really did forget the entire plot outside of evil clown. The only thing I did remember was the sink scene and the new version is the stuff of nightmares.

Thanks, Stephen King, I won’t be sleeping for a month.

Review: The Exorcist (2016)

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‘There are rules in place for a reason. We maintain purity, we don’t harm the innocent, we put duty before self.’

The Exorcist stressed me out. And grossed me out. And freaked me out. But oh holy moley, it was amazing and I loved it. I came at this show never having read the books (yes, there’s two!) or watched the movies (there are a lot!), so I really didn’t know what to expect. I just saw Alfonso Herrera and went, ‘Sounds awesome.’ Ben Daniels being in it was even better.

**spoilers for both seasons**

‘There’s this tall guy and he’s got a black jacket and short hair and a moustache, but not like a porn ’stache. Like a good ’stache.’

The show follows Father Tomás and Father Marcus, Catholic priests and exorcists. It also picks up where the movie left off, which again I haven’t seen, but the main girl Regan MacNeil who was the kid possessed in the movie/book is the mother of the girl possessed in the show (she’s played by the fabulous Geena Davis!).

Tomás is the priest of a poor, struggling parish and he starts having dreams of Marcus performing exorcisms. This leads him to Marcus after some time, and together they try and help the poor MacNeil family that just keeps getting possessed. Poor, poor family. As you can imagine, pretty much everything goes wrong throughout the first season as Marcus and Tomás try to help Casey Rance, Regan’s daughter.

Season two follows the priests’ encounters not just with more possession — this time in a group home run by Andy Kim (played by the amazing John Cho) — as well as people faking possession to get attention. That latter case really hits you hard. And it hits Marcus especially hard. As a result, he becomes deeply protective of the girl who was abused, and I love their interactions throughout season two. In fact, all of the kids in the show are fantastic actors. John Cho also freaking wrecked me in season two and was thoroughly phenomenal. His acting is amazing, I cannot stress this enough.

‘You’re not an apprentice anymore, Tomás. You’re an exorcist. And I’m proud to stand beside you, brother.’

I loved Marcus and Tomás. They both have their own personal obstacles that they’re dealing with in addition to all the exorcisms, and as characters they’re both so wonderful and believable. And I’m not gonna lie, Marcus and Tomás have mad chemistry and their relationship is hands down the best aspect of the show. Marcus is also revealed to be bisexual, which is something we see so little of on television and I totally cheered. 

‘I don’t want to lose you.’
‘Then bring me back.’

Unfortunately, The Exorcist was cancelled after season two, but the creator revealed that season three would have revolved around Tomás finding his way back to Marcus, who was consumed with guilt after the events of season two and went off on his own. I would have loved to see more of this show, but it ends right at that place where you want more but you’re not totally lost not to have it. I generally hate unresolved cliffhangers, but it works for this one and isn’t too frustrating. As a result, I can totally recommend it and I’m definitely going to be rewatching it. I also really want to read the book now, which I’ve since done a little research on and find myself rather intrigued by. I had no idea the writer was once most famous for his comedy work.

Overall, a thoroughly enjoyable, if very frightening series.

‘You said I have nothing. You are wrong. I have love, I have hope, and I have faith. These things are not weaknesses. They make me what I am.’
‘And what’s that?’
‘An exorcist.’