The Exorcist Movies: Release Order
The Exorcist franchise began with William Friedkin's 1973 masterpiece, a film that redefined horror cinema and became a cultural phenomenon. The series discusses faith, evil, and the battle between good and supernatural forces through stories of demonic possession.
This release order watch list includes all six theatrical films, but be aware that the franchise is known for inconsistent quality and continuity issues. The series features two different prequel films that tell essentially the same story with different approaches, and several sequels that ignore previous entries in the timeline. Check out the other Watch Orders up top for more details.
There are 4 other watch orders available - see the links up above.
The Exorcist
When a 12-year-old girl begins exhibiting disturbing supernatural behavior, her desperate mother turns to two priests who must perform an ancient exorcism to save her daughter's soul.
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Exorcist II: The Heretic
Four years after her demonic possession, Regan MacNeil is plagued by disturbing nightmares, prompting a Vatican investigator and research specialist to determine if the evil has returned.
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The Exorcist III
Fifteen years after the events of the original exorcism, Police Lieutenant Kinderman investigates a series of brutal murders that bear an unsettling resemblance to the methods of a supposedly dead serial killer.
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Exorcist: The Beginning
A prequel exploring Father Merrin's first encounter with the demon Pazuzu in East Africa, years before the events of the original Exorcist film.
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Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist
Father Merrin takes a sabbatical from the Church to pursue archaeology while struggling with his faith, leading him to encounter ancient evil forces that will test his beliefs.
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The Exorcist: Believer
When two young girls return from a mysterious three-day disappearance with no memory of what happened, they begin exhibiting terrifying supernatural behavior that echoes a famous demonic possession from decades earlier.
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Other Film Series
Alien
Humanity's terrifying encounters with a perfect killing organism across centuries of space exploration.
Child's Play
A horror franchise following the murderous adventures of Chucky, a killer doll possessed by the soul of serial killer Charles Lee Ray.
Grindhouse
An exploitation cinema tribute that began as a 2007 double feature and spawned multiple spin-off films from its fake trailers.
Halloween
The iconic slasher franchise following masked killer Michael Myers across multiple timelines and reboots spanning over four decades.
Open Water
An anthology of standalone survival horror films about people stranded at sea, with no narrative connections between installments.
REC
Spanish found footage horror franchise following a demonic infection outbreak, featuring intense apartment building quarantine scenarios and their devastating consequences.