The Exorcism
A troubled actor begins to exhibit a disruptive behavior while shooting a horror film. His estranged daughter wonders if he's slipping back into his past addictions or if there's something more sinister at play.
The film underperformed commercially against its respectable budget of $22.0M, earning $12.6M globally (-43% loss). While initial box office returns were modest, the film has gained appreciation for its innovative storytelling within the horror genre.
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
The Exorcism (2024) exhibits deliberately positioned narrative architecture, characteristic of Joshua John Miller's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 36 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.5, the film showcases strong structural fundamentals.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Anthony Miller
Lee Miller
Father Conor
Peter
Joe
Main Cast & Characters
Anthony Miller
Played by Russell Crowe
A troubled actor trying to rebuild his career and relationship with his daughter while battling personal demons on a horror film set.
Lee Miller
Played by Ryan Simpkins
Anthony's estranged daughter who reconnects with her father during the troubled production.
Father Conor
Played by Russell Crowe
The priest character within the film-within-a-film who Anthony portrays, whose role begins to blur with reality.
Peter
Played by Adam Goldberg
The demanding director of the exorcism film who pushes the production forward despite escalating supernatural occurrences.
Joe
Played by David Hyde Pierce
Anthony's supportive friend and fellow crew member who tries to help him through the production.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes The film opens with a disturbing scene on a movie set where an actor dies under mysterious circumstances during an exorcism scene, establishing the dark, ominous tone and the cursed production that Anthony will soon join.. Structural examination shows that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 12 minutes when Anthony accepts the role in "The Georgetown Project," stepping onto the same soundstage where the previous actor died. The cursed set begins affecting him immediately as he experiences his first unsettling moment during rehearsal.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 24 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This reveals the protagonist's commitment to Anthony fully commits to the role despite warning signs, choosing to continue filming after experiencing a violent, dissociative episode on set. He crosses into dangerous territory, prioritizing his comeback over his wellbeing and his daughter's concerns., moving from reaction to action.
At 48 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Structural examination shows that this crucial beat Anthony violently attacks a crew member during filming in a scene that cannot be explained as acting. The production shuts down temporarily, and it becomes undeniable that something supernatural—not just addiction—is consuming him. Father Conor confirms his fears about demonic presence., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 72 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Anthony, fully possessed, reveals dark secrets and confronts Lee with painful truths about his failures as a father, including the circumstances of her mother's death. The demon nearly kills Lee, representing the total destruction of any hope for reconciliation—the death of the father Lee hoped to find., indicates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 77 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Lee chooses to participate in the exorcism, using her connection to her father—and her own pain and anger—as a weapon against the demon. She confronts both the supernatural entity and her own resentment, synthesizing love and fury into the power needed to fight for her father's soul., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
The Exorcism's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs proven narrative structure principles that track dramatic progression. By mapping The Exorcism against these established plot points, we can identify how Joshua John Miller utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish The Exorcism within the horror genre.
Comparative Analysis
Additional horror films include Thinner, A Nightmare on Elm Street and Mary Reilly.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
The film opens with a disturbing scene on a movie set where an actor dies under mysterious circumstances during an exorcism scene, establishing the dark, ominous tone and the cursed production that Anthony will soon join.
Theme
Lee expresses her distrust and concern about her father's ability to stay sober, stating that demons don't need to be real to destroy someone—articulating the film's central theme about inner demons, addiction, and whether true change is possible.
Worldbuilding
We meet Anthony Miller, a washed-up actor fresh from rehab, estranged from his daughter Lee. He's offered the role in "The Georgetown Project" after the previous actor's death. Lee reluctantly moves in with him, and the fractured father-daughter dynamic is established alongside Anthony's fragile sobriety.
Disruption
Anthony accepts the role in "The Georgetown Project," stepping onto the same soundstage where the previous actor died. The cursed set begins affecting him immediately as he experiences his first unsettling moment during rehearsal.
Resistance
Anthony meets Father Conor, the religious consultant on set, who senses something troubling about the production. Lee visits the set and observes her father's increasingly erratic behavior. Anthony debates whether his experiences are supernatural or signs of relapse.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Anthony fully commits to the role despite warning signs, choosing to continue filming after experiencing a violent, dissociative episode on set. He crosses into dangerous territory, prioritizing his comeback over his wellbeing and his daughter's concerns.
Mirror World
Lee begins investigating what happened to the previous actor and connects with Father Conor. Their parallel journey represents the thematic mirror—Lee's search for truth about her father's demons, both literal and metaphorical, and her path toward understanding and forgiveness.
Premise
The horror escalates as the line between Anthony's performance and reality blurs. He delivers increasingly disturbing takes, speaks in tongues, and exhibits knowledge he shouldn't possess. The film-within-a-film creates an eerie meta-quality as we watch an exorcism movie being made while a real possession may be occurring.
Midpoint
Anthony violently attacks a crew member during filming in a scene that cannot be explained as acting. The production shuts down temporarily, and it becomes undeniable that something supernatural—not just addiction—is consuming him. Father Conor confirms his fears about demonic presence.
Opposition
The entity's hold on Anthony strengthens. He becomes increasingly violent and unrecognizable. The studio wants to continue filming, exploiting his deterioration. Lee desperately tries to reach her father while Father Conor prepares for a real exorcism. Past traumas and sins are weaponized against Anthony.
Collapse
Anthony, fully possessed, reveals dark secrets and confronts Lee with painful truths about his failures as a father, including the circumstances of her mother's death. The demon nearly kills Lee, representing the total destruction of any hope for reconciliation—the death of the father Lee hoped to find.
Crisis
Lee must choose whether to abandon her father to the demon or risk her life to save him. Father Conor prepares the exorcism ritual. Anthony's humanity surfaces briefly, begging for help before being subsumed again. The weight of their broken relationship hangs in the balance.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Lee chooses to participate in the exorcism, using her connection to her father—and her own pain and anger—as a weapon against the demon. She confronts both the supernatural entity and her own resentment, synthesizing love and fury into the power needed to fight for her father's soul.
Synthesis
The exorcism sequence unfolds on the same cursed soundstage. Father Conor performs the rite while Lee serves as the emotional anchor. Anthony's past sins and traumas are exposed as the demon fights to maintain control. Through Lee's declaration of forgiveness and love, Anthony finds the strength to reject the demon.
Transformation
Anthony, freed from possession, embraces Lee. Father and daughter are reconciled—not through pretending the past didn't happen, but through acknowledging it and choosing to move forward together. Anthony's transformation is complete: he has faced his demons, both literal and figurative.