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| Poster courtesy of Universal Pictures |
There are certain movie titles that immediately make you uncomfortable before you even watch the trailer. Just hearing the name is enough to remind you of something you may not want to think about when you are home alone at night.
The Exorcist is one of those titles.
I can't remember how old I was when I first watched The Exorcist, but I do remember how much it creeped me out. It was so unsettling that I slept with a nightlight for two weeks.
And now, more than 50 years after the original film terrified audiences, Universal Pictures and Blumhouse are inviting us back into a world of demonic possession, disturbing secrets, and the kind of evil that doesn't stay buried.
The official trailer for The Exorcist: Martyrs has arrived, with Mike Flanagan directing and Scarlett Johansson leading the cast. And judging by what I've seen, I might need that nightlight again.
Here's what's interesting: This doesn't look like another possession movie built entirely around a priest, a demon, and someone levitating above a bed. Instead, Flanagan blends supernatural horror with a serial-killer crime drama. Honestly, that might be even more terrifying.
Watch the Official Trailer for THE EXORCIST: MARTYRS
The Crypt Scene Had Me Questioning Everything
The trailer opens with Detective Miller slowly descending
into a church crypt, where a young victim has been
positioned on a St. Andrew's cross. Right away, I had
questions. Who would do something this disturbing, and why?
But the moment that really got me was when Miller watches
as Detective Restrepo removes a chain and pendant from
the victim's mouth. And that deep, distorted voice in
the background? Chills.
What makes the scene so unsettling isn't just the
gruesome discovery. It's the suggestion that whatever
happened in that crypt might be connected to something
far worse than a human killer.
The Story: She Thought It Was Over
At the center of The Exorcist: Martyrs is Julie Miller, a New York City detective played by Scarlett Johansson. Thirteen years ago, Miller helped bring down a satanic serial killer known as Father Sunday. The case made her a hero, but it also left behind a darkness that apparently wasn't finished with her.
When a new killer leaves Miller's name written in an altar boy's blood inside a church crypt, she finds herself pulled back into a nightmare she thought she had escaped. And just like that, we're reminded of one of horror's oldest rules: the past never stays buried when something evil is involved.
A Detective Story With a Demonic Twist
As Miller investigates, she begins uncovering possible connections between notorious serial killers throughout history and a supernatural force that may be influencing their crimes. If you've ever wondered whether the worst killers in history had something more than human cruelty behind them, this film is clearly leaning into that question. I love a good detective thriller, especially films like The Silence of the Lambs or Se7en, where the investigation slowly becomes just as disturbing as the crimes themselves. That's what caught my attention here. Miller isn't simply hunting another killer. She is trying to understand whether something supernatural connects these murders. That combination of a crime mystery and demonic horror could make this film genuinely disturbing.
Scarlett Johansson Leads a Stacked Cast
Scarlett Johansson stepping into the lead role immediately makes this film interesting. Joining Johansson is Chiwetel Ejiofor as Father William, a former prison chaplain who heard Father Sunday's final confession. Sasha Calle plays rookie detective Gina Restrepo, who assists Miller with the investigation.
The supporting cast includes Laurence Fishburne as Father Nichol, Diane Lane as Miller's mother, Mary, Jacobi Jupe (Hamnet) as her son Max, and John Leguizamo as the sinister Father Sunday.
That's an impressive amount of acting talent for a horror movie. Leguizamo is usually the guy who brings the energy and the laughs, so I'm curious to see him play it cold instead of charming.
Why Mike Flanagan Is a Smart Bet for The Exorcist Franchise
Flanagan is the creator of The Haunting of Hill House, Midnight Mass, and The Fall of the House of Usher. His specialty is horror with heart. Flanagan understands that the most effective horror doesn't always come from what jumps out of the shadows. It comes from grief, family, and the terrible things people do when they believe they're justified. Putting him in charge of a franchise built on faith and fear that has lost its footing is a smart bet. He also wrote the screenplay, so this is his vision from the first page.
Let's acknowledge the elephant - or perhaps the demon - in the room. The Exorcist is a horror classic, and the franchise has spent decades trying to recapture the impact of the original. Not every attempt has landed well with fans or at the box office. The 2023 release of The Exorcist: Believer left plenty of fans wondering whether the series still had something meaningful to offer.
What makes The Exorcist: Martyrs worth watching is Flanagan's track record: his best work is about people haunted by grief, not just monsters. Rather than simply recreating familiar possession imagery or leaning on nostalgia, this film appears ready to explore evil from a different angle. The combination of police procedural, religious horror, and psychological suspense gives the story room to become something distinctive.
Mark Your Calendars
The Exorcist: Martyrs arrives in theaters March 12, 2027. We've got plenty of time to rewatch the original, debate which Exorcist movie actually scared us the most, and figure out whether we're brave enough to watch this one in theaters.
Written and Directed by: Mike Flanagan
Based on Characters Created by: William Peter Blatty
Produced by: David Robinson, Jason Blum, Mike Flanagan
Executive Producers: Alexandra Magistro, Ryan Turek
Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Sasha Calle, Diane Lane, Jacobi Jupe, Scoot McNairy, Gil Bellows, Laurence Fishburne, John Leguizamo
I don't know whether The Exorcist: Martyrs will finally give this franchise the comeback it needs. But between Scarlett Johansson, Mike Flanagan, and a mystery that looks straight out of my favorite crime thrillers, I'm interested in finding out. I just hope the film delivers more than the usual demonic jump scares. And if I end up sleeping with a nightlight again? Well, at least I'll know the film did its job.
Are you excited for The Exorcist: Martyrs? Will you be watching this one with the lights on or off? Let me know in the comments.
