The Exorcism of Emily Rose
Short description
The Exorcism of Emily Rose is a 2005 American crime drama with horror and thriller elements, directed by Scott Derrickson. It centres on a court case brought against a Catholic priest, Father Moore, after a young woman named Emily Rose dies following an exorcism he performed on her. Prosecutors argue that his actions, and the decision to stop her medical treatment, caused her death, while the priest maintains that she was genuinely possessed. A defence lawyer, Erin Bruner, takes on his case, initially sceptical of anything supernatural, but the testimony and the strange occurrences surrounding the trial unsettle her certainty.
Laura Linney plays Erin Bruner, Tom Wilkinson plays Father Moore, Campbell Scott appears as the prosecutor Ethan Thomas, and Jennifer Carpenter plays Emily Rose. The screenplay was written by Derrickson with Paul Harris Boardman, and the film was produced by Tom Rosenberg, Gary Lucchesi and Beau Flynn.
The film was Derrickson's second feature, following Hellraiser: Inferno (2000) and preceding The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008) in a directing career that continued with Sinister (2012), Deliver Us from Evil (2014), Doctor Strange (2016), The Black Phone (2022), V/H/S/85 (2023), Black Phone 2 (2025) and The Gorge (2025). Made for around 19 million USD, it took roughly 145 million USD worldwide. On IMDb it holds 6.7/10 from about 149,000 votes and on TMDB 6.6/10 from over 3,000 votes, while critics gave it 5.7/10 from 156 reviews, a lower figure than the audience scores.
What's left behind the scenes
- A special mannequin was made for filming the scene where the main character is shown contorted on the floor, but it was never used. Carpenter turned out to be very flexible, and the director decided that the poses she could achieve herself were scarier. When her character begins to lean back in the church, the actress was supported by a special brace, which made her movements look unnatural.
- The film is based on the real-life story of Anneliese Michel from Germany.
- The plot is based on the real story of Anneliese Michel from Germany, who experienced the same events as Emily Rose, only in the 1970s, and about whom a specially invited anthropologist later testified in court. The girl's parents and two priests who performed the exorcism were put on trial, although the prosecution asked for the parents to be pardoned on the grounds that they had already suffered enough. Ultimately, the defendants were found guilty of criminal negligence leading to death. Among the differences between the real events and those shown in the film, it can be noted that in reality, Michel fasted for several months (this was one of the elements of the exorcism) and continued to take medication until her death, while the fictional Rose could not eat due to possession and decided to refuse medication herself. The plot of the film, based on real events, was heavily adapted to the requirements of cinema.
- Madeline Zima was considered for the role of Emily Rose.
- During the auditions, Dustin Milligan punched a hole in the wall with his elbow. He tried to hide it by covering up the hole, but it was discovered, and he had to pay for the repairs.
- Two mannequins were created for the film, in particular, for filming the scene in which the main character is shown on the floor, completely contorted. In this case, the director did not use the mannequin during filming, as Carpenter turned out to be very flexible, and he decided that the poses she could take herself were scarier than anything that could be depicted using a mannequin. When her character begins to lean back in the church, the actress was supported by a special brace, which made her movements look unnatural.
- Jennifer Carpenter landed the role of Emily Rose thanks to what was known as her silent scream. It impressed director Scott Derrickson so much during the audition that he immediately gave the role to Carpenter.
- While preparing for the role, Jennifer Carpenter spent a lot of time in a room completely covered in mirrors, examining her reflections in different poses and with different facial expressions, trying to understand which ones were the scariest.
- Actress Jennifer Carpenter received the role of Emily Rose thanks to her so-called 'silent scream.' The 'silent scream' impressed director Scott Derrickson so much at the audition that he immediately gave the role to Carpenter.
- The music Emily plays on the piano after the priest leaves is Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Op. 3 No. 2, or his famous Prelude in C-sharp minor.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
