Exorcist: The Beginning is a 2004 supernatural horror film directed by Renny Harlin. It is the fourth installment in The Exorcist film series and serves as a prequel to The Exorcist (1973). The story follows Father Lankester Merrin, who unearths an ancient church in East Africa, believed to have been buried to contain evil. Chaos erupts as the village is consumed by violent clashes and Merrin confronts a demon's possession of someone close to him.