The Exorcist

The Exorcist certainly franchise has its ups and downs in terms of quality, but for any completist, there is a best order to watch all five movies.

[The Exorcist II: The Heretic was immediately changed](https://screenrant.com/exorcist-ii-why-the-movie-was-changed-on-opening-weekend/) after opening weekend. It can actually be watched after The Exorcist or The Exorcist II: The Heretic on the timeline, however. This is the eerie thread that connects this third film to the classic story. Finally, The Exorcist III is the last movie in the franchise to watch, chronologically. Kinderman also appears in both the original The Exorcist and the third movie, with George C. Since Father Merrin dies in The Exorcist and fear causes his heart problems to worsen, it's fascinating to learn more about his background here (again portrayed by Stellan Skarsgård). The thread of demonic possession is also strong throughout this story, and the movie has a twist that won't feel unexpected to those who watched the other prequel first. The movie takes place in Georgetown, D.C., far from the prequel setting of East Africa, which drives home that the evil demon Pazuzu is everywhere. [The Exorcist's ending](https://screenrant.com/the-exorcist-movie-ending-explained/) is especially important since it sets up the movie's two sequels, 1977's The Exorcist II: The Heretic and 1990's The Exorcist III. However, it's still worth watching for those who want to have a complete overview of how Father Merrin feels when he comes across Regan in the original movie and realizes that this evil situation is happening all over again. In Dominion, Father Lankester Merrin (Stellan Skarsgård) is carrying around trauma from the violence of World War II when he comes across a church that people believe has an evil curse attached to it. When Cheche (Billy Crawford) is thought to be possessed, questions of religion, faith, and belief come into play.