The Stellan Skarsgard Horror Movie On Streaming That’s A Prequel To A Classic
The release of The Exorcist: Believer is less than two weeks away, and the fandom is ecstatic, as they’re finally receiving a direct sequel to 1973’s The Exorcist. It might occur to some fans to revisit some of the franchise’s classics as preparations for the upcoming film’s release. We’d like to take the opportunity to talk about and recommend Dominion: The Prequel to the Exorcist—an alternative prequel to the original film—which is now available for streaming on Peacock.
Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist provides a deeper understanding of the demonic entity the audiences saw in the original film.
Released in 2005, Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist is a somewhat chilling horror experience that, as we mentioned before, serves as a prequel to the iconic The Exorcist movie, which sought to explore the sinister origins of the demon that plagued Regan MacNeil in the original 1973 movie.
The narrative is set in 1940, with the story following Father Lankester Merrin, portrayed by Stellan Skarsgard, who travels to Kenya after experiencing a crisis of faith caused by the crimes he was forced to commit by the Nazis.
In British Kenya, Father Merrin becomes entangled in a discovery and excavation of an ancient Byzantine church, which was apparently built in the 5th century long before Christianity had reached that region of Africa. Interestingly enough, as the Father and his colleagues noticed, the church is in perfect condition, as if it was deliberately buried immediately after its construction was complete.
By the rules of the genre, ancient tombs and temples weren’t always sealed to keep the thieves and raiders out—sometimes, they’re sealed to contain something within.
Inside the church, the excavation team, along with Father Merrin, finds a hidden passageway leading to a crypt containing a demon idol.
We won’t dive into any more details to avoid spoilers, but we’d like to take this opportunity to say that, by the rules of the genre, ancient tombs and temples weren’t always sealed to keep the thieves and raiders out—sometimes, they’re sealed to contain something within.
Beyond dealing with demonic possessions, Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist also explores themes of faith, evil, and redemption as Father Merric faces the demon and the horrors of war. The movie also provides a deeper understanding of the demonic entity the audiences saw in the original film.
As for the cast of Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist, the Dune star delivers a compelling and intense performance as Father Merrin, the same role he would later reprise in the re-shot version of the prequel, Exorcist: The Beginning—more on that later. The actor brought depth and authenticity to the faith-questioning character, portraying the inner turmoil and conflict of a priest struggling to maintain faith. Besides Skarsgard’s exceptional performance, the supporting cast also contributes to the eerie atmosphere of the film.
These include Gabriel Mann as Father Francis, Clara Bellar as Rachel, and Billy Crawford as Cheche. Mann’s character offers a contrasting perspective on faith, while Crawford adds a sense of vulnerability to the overall story.
The cast’s performance, combined with Skarsgard’s aforementioned standout role, make Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist a notable addition to the whole The Exorcist franchise while also offering a better take on the whole origin story, despite being an alternative prequel to the original film.
For those who aren’t acquainted with the film’s history, Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist had a rather rocky journey to the silver screen. The movie was initially directed by Paul Schrader, but Morgan Creek Productions wasn’t satisfied with the film. Schrader opposed re-editing the film, and the studio decided to scrap the already-completed movie in 2003 while also hiring Renny Harlin to direct the heavily revised version of the film, which launched in 2004 as Exorcist: The Beginning.
Stellan Skarsgard brought depth and authenticity to the faith-questioning character, portraying the inner turmoil and conflict of a priest struggling to maintain faith.
Those acquainted with The Exorcist franchise know that Exorcist: The Beginning was a massive flop. So massive that Paul Schrader, the director of Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist, publicly stated that if The Beginning remains an underperformer at the box office, there might be a good chance for him to resurrect his own work.
And that’s precisely what happened. Creek Morgan called in Scrader, and Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist received a limited theatrical release with limited marketing.
Unfortunately, Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist didn’t outperform Exorcist: The Beginning at the box office, which only confirms that it’s really hard to fix a bad first impression. However, the movie was much better received among audiences and critics, and Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist received considerably more positive reviews than Harlin’s Exorcist: The Beginning. For those interested, Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist is currently available on Peacock.
