AllMovie

Created for the Discovery Channel, In the Grip of Evil is an engaging 50-minute documentary based on William Peter Blatty's best-selling novel, The Exorcist, and its later film adaptation. The story centers around a series of unexplained supernatural phenomena that a 13-year-old boy in Maryland in 1949 is alleged to have experienced after playing with a Ouija board with his aunt. After his aunt's death, the youngster is haunted by noises in the walls, furniture shaking, and gusts of air inside of the house. The documentary attempts to address these inexplicable events within the context of religion, science, and psychology. Highlights include interviews with a panel of experts, including William Friedkin, Dr. Elizabeth Bowman, and Father William Halloran.