The Exorcism is a reminder that filmmakers have a “shot clock” when trying to map out their movies.

Joshua John Miller’s wishy-washy thriller waffles between ideas that could inspire a possession, such as psychological demons and literal supernatural curses. Because the movie takes place around the making of a horror film, and because The Exorcism has been co-produced by Scream co-creator Kevin Williamson, some sly albeit good-natured meta-humour towards its star Russell Crowe could also be at play. But director Miller, who wrote the screenplay with his The Final Girls writing partner M.A. Fortin, lets these concepts simmer. Had The Exorcism been a slow-burn character study (like 1973’s The Exorcist), this “long game” could’ve been acceptable. But, these decisions regarding the story’s direction are ignored in favour of building up towards predictable, soft scares that never quite wet the viewer’s whistle.

Crowe, playing fizzled-out actor and former addict Anthony Miller, is also the driving force of where the story could go. He does some freaky contortions and stares when he’s being “controlled” (Canadian horror hounds may find themselves picturing how good Robert Nolan could’ve been in this role), and he’s further complimented by an appealing performance by David Hyde Pierce, who plays a real priest who is brought in as a “faith consultant” on this movie-within-a-movie. The Hebrew Hammer’s Adam Goldberg, as the film’s pushy director, and Avatar’s Sam Worthington, as Miller’s co-star, could’ve been more memorable had they been given more screen time or better material. Instead, Miller’s movie wants to place the attention on Anthony’s angsty and estranged daughter Lee, played by Ryan Simpkins (of Netflix’s Fear Street series) who goes through the motions of this very generic role.

The actors’ efforts, no matter their leagues, always return to Miller’s meandering filmmaking. By the halfway mark, the audience can feel the movie’s autopilot shift towards a more literal blueprint; resulting in a movie that’s about as engaging as its title.

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Addison Wylie: @AddisonWylie