Nerds That Geek Movie Review – ‘Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist’

Written by Scott Edwards

The desire to help others seems to be something that we grow up with, but as we get older we start to think more and more about what could happen if we do. With little to no thought however, there are still those who will do anything for anybody in need and that is a trait that I wish more people held on to. You never know what the story is and why someone is in need, you just look past them and go about your day. Take a moment and at least give a smile, just by this little gesture, you are able to brighten someone’s day, even if it is not what they expected.

While in Holland during World War II, Lancaster Merrin has been forced to make a decision that will change his life, along with every one of the town’s folk. Having to point out to the SS commander who killed his man and left the body in the alley, Merrin, being a man of the cloth knows that confession is sacred and will not disclose the information of who the murderer is, but when the entire town is threatened, he does his best to protect the innocent. Having to choose who lives and dies was not what Merrin signed up for, but he had to do his part to keep everyone from being murdered in cold blood.

Years later, while in Kenya, Merrin has uncovered a Byzantine Church that was built long before Christianity moved that far south. When word of his find makes its way up the ladder, Merrin is summed to Major Granville’s office to discuss what the next steps will be. Being given an assistant, Father Francis, Merrin is not happy with having to play baby sitter to the young priest, but he does not have a choice. While uncovering more of the old church, Merrin makes a strange discovery, that the walls are not weathered at all and he wants to find out why. While hiring more workers to get the building out from centuries of sand, Merrin is ready to step inside and takes young Father Francis with him. Looking at the statues, Merrin notices that they are all pointing their weapons down, signifying that they are trying to keep something from a lower level from coming up. Finding this strange, Merrin and Francis continue down further into the church and find some pagan carvings, along with a room that was used for human sacrifice. 

Returning to the surface Merrin and Francis are taken to see something strange that has happened outside of the village. They find a band of hyenas that have been killed by the cattle and now the cows are feasting on their fallen hunters. Knowing that something strange has been released on the valley, Merrin tries to keep a close eye on his new friend Cheche, an outcast from the village that requires much more medical care than anyone is willing to give. But when Merrin continues to be called away for different reasons, Cheche is getting stronger and it's clear there is something manifesting inside of him. When two thieving guards are found dead in the church, Major Granville starts to show his true colors towards the locals and wants an eye for an eye and Merrin can only do so much to keep him from following through. While the village elders know that evil has been released on the valley, they do not know who has become the next chosen one, they just know that death will arrive and take many more lives before all is said and done.

A very different movie than Exorcist: The Beginning and I cannot believe that the studio did not want to release it. You can see right off the bat what was not funded in this movie, the special effects, but that does not carry a story, especially in a movie like this. I actually like Dominion better than its replacement, since there are more memorable scenes, but I can see why the studio reshot pretty much the entire movie. There is not enough gore. But blood and jump scares is not what these movies have ever been about, it is about the ongoing battle between good and evil and returning someone’s faith. This movie focused much harder on Merrin and his past and put it all out there in the first ten minutes, while the other movie made you sit and wait to see what he did. It is easier to see why Merrin lost his faith right from the get go. Father Francis was not as much of a throw away character in this movie and he actually served more of a purpose to the story, along with Major Granville who had a much more prominent role before blowing his brains out. Cheche was the star of this movie as he is afraid of everything and everyone around the village but finds the courage to stay in the care of Merrin and the doctor Rachel. His transformation into the evil Pazuzu is epic and you get to see how the battle should have really gone down between good and evil. Stay Scared.

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