Park Chan-wook Defends a Hated 1970s Horror Sequel as a ‘Masterpiece’ | Sorry Not Sorry
Having directed Oldboy, The Handmaiden, Decision to Leave, and 2026’s No Other Choice, Park Chan-wook is one of the greatest filmmakers working today.
His ability to blend the macabre with humour is second to none, and his movies always cause a stir for one reason or another. Whether it be the taboo subject matter explored in Oldboy, or the sexual content of The Handmaiden, the director knows how to make an impact. But what movies have impacted him?
During the press tour for Park Chan-wook’s most recent film, No Other Choice, JustWatch asked both the director and his lead actor Lee Byung-hun what their shameless guilty pleasures are. Considering Chan-wook’s penchant for darkness in his stories, it was not surprising that he decided to champion a horror movie, but The Exorcist II: The Heretic was a very bold choice.
For Park Chan-wook, The Exorcist II: The Heretic Is A Masterpiece
Released in 1977, four years after The Exorcist terrified audiences and had everyone fainting and vomiting in the aisles, The Exorcist II: The Heretic had big shoes to fill. Linda Blair returned as Regan MacNeil, the film joining her as she is plagued by terrible dreams from her time possessed by Pazuzu. Although fans were happy to rejoin Regan, The Exorcist II is widely regarded as one of the worst horror sequels ever made.
A big reason for The Exorcist II hate is that director John Boorman stepped away from all the elements that made the original a success. Rather than being a claustrophobic and confrontational tale of the destruction of a young body, the story expanded out into discussions about brainwaves and psychic abilities. The Exorcist II also spent way too much time focused on locusts and therefore is a clear source of inspiration for another mangled sequel, Jurassic World: Dominion.
Park Chan-wook ignores all this negativity and is seemingly on a one-man mission to change people’s opinion of the movie: “I always tell my friends that the sequel is as much of a masterpiece as the first movie is.” It is a bold statement, but one that the director has spent a long time championing: “Since 25-plus years ago, I’ve always claimed that the sequel to The Exorcist is a great film.” His admiration for The Exorcist II does not stop at merely recommending it to friends; Chan-wook has gone on record defending the movie, as he shared, “back when I was working as a film critic, I even wrote and published pieces that praised the film.” Now that is dedication.
With Park Chan-wook potentially The Exorcist II’s number one fan, he is almost certainly chomping at the bit to see the new documentary Boorman and the Devil. Directed by David Kittredge, and featuring interviews with John Boorman, Karyn Kusama, Joe Dante, and Mike Flanagan, Boorman and the Devil looks back on The Exorcist II’s ambitions and reception. After receiving rave reviews on the festival circuit, maybe Boorman and the Devil is the film to bring everyone around to Chan-wook’s perspective.
Why We Need To Watch More Lee Byung-hu Movies
Whilst Park Chan-wook was almost certainly waiting for any opportunity to profess his love of The Exorcist II: The Heretic, his No Other Choice lead was less prepared.
The on-the-spot pressure was too much for Lee Byung-hun, who admitted, “I can’t think of a film off the top of my head.” Picking just one film out of hundreds is a tough task, but Byung-hun was quick to pivot in another direction: “Those movies in my filmography that people have ignored. I want to tell people to go watch them. They’re pretty good.”
Pretty good is quite the understatement as Lee Byung-hun’s credits are formidable. In addition to No Other Choice, which was criminally overlooked at this year’s Academy Awards, the actor has been involved in some really special projects. A Bittersweet Life, I Saw the Devil, and Squid Game are all vital to watch, with Byung-hun doing stellar work in all of them. Addicted, Joint Security Area and Mr Sunshine are more lesser-known productions, but are equally worthy of your time.
The Korean actor is at his best when working in Korean cinema, with his American movie offerings less compelling. This is no slight on Byung-hun’s acting abilities, but more of a comment on the Hollywood machine and its inability to leave certain things be.
For example, Terminator: Genisys did not need to be made, and although Byung-hun does a valiant job playing the T-1000, the movie just plays as cosplaying actors acting out weakly written fan-fiction. Above all of his credits, though, No Other Choice is the best place to start, and why not double it with The Exorcist II: The Heretic? The two movies might not have a great deal in common, but you’ll definitely make Park Choon-wook happy.
