When a younger girl called Emily Rose dies, everyone puts blame on the exorcism which was performed on her by Father Moore prior to her death. The priest is arrested on suspicion of murder. The trial begins with lawyer Erin Bruner representing Moore, but it is not going to be easy, as no one wants to believe what Father Moore says is true.
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- Cmdr. Ricardo Arnaz CPA, ACCA US Navy-retiredApril 1, 2026One of my favorites in the paranormal, horror genre (I don't like slasher horror) which is based on a true incident in Germany. The movie follows the priest who is on trial for the death of Emily and it follows her possession. Campell Scott, the D.A. tries to prove that the priest is guilty however Laura Linney provides his defense. What is truly scary you can find the possession videos out there on the web of the real case the movie is based on. My father makes fun of me as I have 3 master's degrees and was a US Navy officer and I believe in the ungodly realm of demons and succubus's, etc. He states you're educated; an officer and you left the Catholic faith and became an Anglican & you believe in this and Enoch, etc.
- MrMitchieOctober 31, 2025This film actually scared the shit out of me the first time I watched it so much so that I would say it's almost as good as The Exorcist. Carpenters daughter plays the perfect role as Emily and is very convincing. If you want to watch a really good possession movie this has to be on your bucket list
- rg9400July 8, 2026I am watching movies on the Science of Scare list which ranks movies based on viewer heart rates and heart rate variance. The Exorcism of Emily Rose has a very high ranking of 9 on that list. To be honest, I don't understand at all, either in terms of scare or in terms of overall movie quality. To me, this is the weakest movie I've seen from Scott Derrickson that I've seen so far. It has a very dated look to it, and I don't mean dated in that it is from 2005, I mean that it looks like it would have been made well before that date. Colors are very drab, the score uses this piano accompaniment, the sound design feels muted and basic, and the actors read their lines in that exaggerated theatrical way instead of the more naturalistic way of modern movies. Now, don't get me wrong, this doesn't necessarily make the movie bad, but it does showcase that it seems to be wanting to replicate the formulas of older horror movies, most notably The Exorcist. It does take a clever spin on it by centering it on a courtroom drama, but this is where I feel the movie really falters. It doesn't know what it wants to be. Over half of it is a courtroom drama, and the actual horror aspects are actually very limited in this movie, less than half the screentime. This is why I particularly did not understand how it performed so well in the scare metric, there simply is not a lot of that horror atmosphere in the courtroom which eats up so much of the runtime. That courtroom drama isn't particularly engaging either in my opinion. This movie is actually one of those "based on a true story" deals, and I think it wants to create this perception that what happened was actually real, showcasing the genuineness of the supernatural phenomena. Maybe it elicits horror from those who do believe in the authenticity of those phenomena, and how this procedural sort of proves them. For me, it didn't do that, and I found that the whole ebb and flow of the trial as well as the ending where it argued that it had made a point were all silly. I did not see how the lawyers managed to prove/disprove each other at all, the arguments felt very illogical to me. I think this movie is fundamentally different than others like The Conjuring which do also use the "based on a true story" schtick but then spend the rest of the movie just showcasing horror imagery. Here, I think there is a genuine attempt to ground this movie in realism and try to argue that what it is portraying is fully real. It just handicaps the movie overall in my opinion, unless you are already deeply religious or believe in this stuff. In terms of the actual horror, it is so limited and in between that I didn't really feel much from it. Jennifer Carpenter does a decent job, and there are some clever ways of portraying some of the imagery that Derrickson will refine in future movies. However, if you are going into this movie looking for a good *horror* movie, I just think this movie is fundamentally not that. I would just watch The Exorcist instead.
- PhysicalMedia4LifeMay 11, 2026Easily the most underrated demon possession movie in the exorcism subgenre!!! And I think "The Exorcism Of Emily Rose" is the last really good movie in the exorcism subgenre that we've had tbh. What I really like about it is how it blends both courtroom drama with supernatural horror; creating a very interesting narrative that's as much about belief, doubt and responsibility as it is about possession. At the center of it is Jennifer Carpenter's extraordinary performance as Emily. Which really gives the film its emotional & visceral power. For me the films biggest strength is the ambiguity, that goes in hand in hand with its very effective atmosphere 👌 The cinematography is slick looking accompanied by great camera-work. As a whole "The Exorcism Of Emily Rose" is a very unsettling and an emotionally charged film; that really does elevate the exorcism subgenre, by grounding it into realistic tragedy and moral complexity. And finally My Ratings/Scores for The Exorcism Of Emily Rose are ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ & a 10/10
- Eric BakkeNovember 5, 2024"Emily Rose" takes a unique approach to the exorcism genre, blending supernatural horror with courtroom drama. It raises thought-provoking questions about faith, the nature of evil, and the conflict between science and the supernatural. The film is both chilling and intellectually engaging, offering more than just scares, but a deep exploration of belief and skepticism.
- heavenlamontagneSeptember 16, 2025When I first watched this movie at the theater I was so terrified OMG. But. It's slow, scary n a good movie 🎥
- kont859March 11, 2026good story decent actors.
- Steven VickersJuly 23, 2025Love it when it came out, it's still alright. Just doesn't have what it takes to be a real horror. Still pretty solid though.
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The Exorcism of Emily Rose was released on September 9, 2005.
The Exorcism of Emily Rose was directed by Scott Derrickson.
The Exorcism of Emily Rose has a runtime of 2h 2m.
The Exorcism of Emily Rose was produced by Beau Flynn, Paul Harris Boardman, Tom Rosenberg, Gary Lucchesi, Tripp Vinson.
When a younger girl called Emily Rose dies, everyone puts blame on the exorcism which was performed on her by Father Moore prior to her death. The priest is arrested on suspicion of murder. The trial begins with lawyer Erin Bruner representing Moore, but it is not going to be easy, as no one wants to believe what Father Moore says is true.
The key characters in The Exorcism of Emily Rose are Erin Bruner (Laura Linney), Father Moore (Tom Wilkinson), Emily Rose (Jennifer Carpenter).
The Exorcism of Emily Rose is rated PG-13.
The Exorcism of Emily Rose is a Horror, Drama, Thriller film.
The Exorcism of Emily Rose has an audience rating of 6 out of 10.
The Exorcism of Emily Rose had a budget of $19M.
The Exorcism of Emily Rose has made $145.2M at the box office.