The possession sub-genre is effectively a factory at this point. You know the floor plan: a dimly lit bedroom, a victim tied to a bed, a priest sweating through his collar, and enough Latin to pass a theology final. The Exorcism of God tries to pivot by moving the action to Mexico and giving the lead priest a "dark secret" that actually matters to the plot, but the results are strictly bargain-bin. When a movie pulls a 2 on Letterboxd, it’s a signal that even the most dedicated horror junkies found it tedious.
Why the rating actually matters
This isn't a "spooky fun" movie for a Friday night with the family. The 17+ age rating is doing a lot of heavy lifting here. While many modern horror hits play in the PG-13 space by focusing on jump scares and atmosphere, this film leans into imagery that many will find genuinely repulsive or offensive.
If you are trying to decide if your older teen can handle the "mature themes" mentioned in the synopsis, you need to look closer at the specifics. We’ve broken down the most polarizing elements in our parent's guide to The Exorcism of God, which details the graphic gore and the specific brand of blasphemy that sets this apart from a standard church-sanctioned thriller. It isn't just scary; it’s intentionally provocative in a way that feels designed to shock rather than tell a good story.
The "Starz" of it all
There is a specific type of movie that lives exclusively on mid-tier streaming channels like Starz. These are often films that didn't have the muscle for a major theatrical run and don't have the "prestige" feel of a Netflix or HBO original. The Exorcism of God fits this profile perfectly. It’s filler.
If you already pay for a Starz subscription and you’ve literally watched every other possession movie ever made, you might find the Mexico setting a refreshing change of pace. The cinematography is occasionally better than the script deserves. But for the average viewer, the low audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes are the only review you need to read. People who went in wanting a good scare came out feeling underwhelmed.
Better ways to spend 90 minutes
If the goal is to watch a priest struggle with his faith while fighting demons, the classics are classics for a reason. You are almost always better off revisiting the foundational films of the 70s or the high-gloss studio horror of the 2010s. This movie tries to bridge the gap between "elevated" horror and "grindhouse" shock, but it lacks the craft to pull off the former and the fun to justify the latter. Unless you are doing a deep-dive research project on every exorcism film ever produced, this is one secret that should probably stay buried.
