Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘The Exorcist III’

Written by Scott Edwards

Some friendships only come along once in a lifetime and if you are willing to take the chance, you could find someone that will be with you until the end of time. There are those people that are a little close minded that pass up this opportunity since they do not believe that this could happen, but on the other hand, there are several people that jump in blindly and are happy with the results. It all falls on one person and their faith in others and while some believe that there are great things out in the world, there are others that cannot bring themselves to trust anyone since they have been hurt in the past.

Detective Bill Kinderman has been called in on a case that has left him rattled. One of the boys he knows from the police outreach program has been found mutilated and dead by the shore and he is having a hard time with the way he was killed. With all signs pointing to the Gemini Killer who was put to death fifteen years ago, Kinderman is determined to find out who the copycat is and what has brought them out of the woodwork so many years later. But his investigation will have to take a backseat, since he has something more important to take care of with this being the fifteenth anniversary of Farther Karras' death.

Meeting up with his good friend Father Dyer at a theater to see It’s a Wonderful Life, the tradition continues for the two men. After the movie, they head out to dinner and Father Dyer gives up a bit of information on the current case. Seeing that Kinderman is upset, Dyer offers any help that he can provide, but with Kinderman not being a religious man, he declines and heads back home for the evening. Receiving word that Dyer has been taken to the hospital, Kinderman jumps back into his car and goes to visit his old friend. But before he is able to make his second trip to see Dyer, he gets the call about a murder that has taken place and this time the victim turns out to be his good friend. Investigating the scene at the hospital, Kinderman is unable to figure out what is happening around him and his questioning tactics are leading him nowhere. Needing to find out what is happening and what has brought the Gemini Killer out of retirement, Kinderman is taken on a tour of the hospital by Doctor Temple who is in charge of the disturbed patients. 

Walking around the different wards, Kinderman sees the disturbed patients in the hospital, but one man has caught his eye. When Doctor Temple comes clean about one of his patients that was admitted fifteen years ago as a John Doe, Kinderman is forced to face his past. Seeing the face of his old friend Father Karras, Kinderman has to step back and remember what he saw on that tragic night when he saw the father pass away on the bottom of the steps outside of the MacNeil house. With the patient’s face changing right in front of his very eyes, Kinderman comes face to face with the Gemini Killer once again, but knowing that he is not able to leave the room, he cannot be behind all of the killings that have been taking place, Kinderman has to challenge his faith and try to figure out if something supernatural is behind it. As the bodies start to pile up in and outside of the hospital, the Gemini Killer is able to control any person he chooses at will. Can Kinderman stop the supernatural hunt for his family before it is too late?

An entirely new cast has taken to the screen for the third installment of the series and it does not seem like they have missed a step. Without knowing who the patient in the ward really is, Kinderman is forced to re-live a bit of his past and see the face of an old friend that he will never forget. The interactions between Father Dyer and Kinderman are priceless in this movie and I was very upset that we were not able to experience more of it before the Father’s untimely demise. But it was Doctor Temple that stole the show when he appeared on screen. Knowing that there was something strange about the John Doe that was brought in around the same time the Gemini killer was put to death, he had a feeling that the secret would come out and bite him in the rear end. I really liked Nurse Allerton in this movie, she only said what needed to be said and when it was relevant. Even though she seemed to be removed from the situations, she knew what was happening and was able to deliver some vital information when it was needed the most. The Gemini Killer was just crazy and his story about taking over Father Karras’ body when the man was dying on the bottom of the steps made me question if it really could have happened, but when it came to killing, he made you know without a doubt that he was in charge and not ready to give it up at this point. A good third installment to the series and it did make up for the craziness that happened in the second one. Stay Scared.

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