‘The Exorcist: Believer’ Review – Pushes Faith To Its Brink

Synopsis: Since the death of his pregnant wife in a Haitian earthquake 13 years ago, Victor Fielding (Tony winner and Oscar® nominee Leslie Odom, Jr.; One Night in Miami, Hamilton) has raised their daughter, Angela (Lidya Jewett, Good Girls) on his own. But when Angela and her friend Katherine (newcomer Olivia O’Neill), disappear in the woods, only to return three days later with no memory of what happened to them, it unleashes a chain of events that will force Victor to confront the nadir of evil and, in his terror and desperation, seek out the only person alive who has witnessed anything like it before: Chris MacNeil.

Parenting is not, never has been, and never will be easy. The older kids get, the more complex their issues become, and potentially the more sophisticated the solutions will have to be. As they become their own person, there’s only so much they’re going to tell you. Who they like, what they’re thinking, how they’re feeling, and why they do certain things is all information that will be more difficult to obtain than ever before. Is not always that they don’t trust you, but just like when you were a teen or preteen, they want autonomy as they reach puberty and attempt to figure out who they are. Unfortunately, they don’t know as much as they think while also harboring a sense of fearlessness that we now envy. This results in dangers both seen and unseen. We want to protect them at all costs but we must adapt to the times and the different parenting styles. Moreover, we have to remember a few things. No two kids are alike. Love them no matter the circumstances. Be as honest as you want them to be, within reason. And no child is perfect. Don’t rule out the possibility that your little angel might just be a demon sometimes.

“God is punishing us.”

It is said that we should love thy neighbor, but would you die for them as well? Co-written and directed by David Gordon Green, The Exorcist: Believer pushes faith to its brink. Not only will this film have you questioning the strength of your belief system, but also whether or not you want kids of your own. Unless you already have some, then hide your cootie catchers, ouija boards, and any random jars filled with unknown or human-like objects. With IP that dabbles in the demonic and questions the validity and righteousness of religion, it’ll surprise you how much this film walks on the lighter side—to an extent. As the story resides in the shadows and thrives in the grim, it gives organized religion substantial amounts of grace. While it could’ve further exposed hypocrisy and ill practices, it instead spotlights how similar they all are and how much stronger we are together. Subsequently, it reveals that no singular faith is better than another, instead, they are branches of the same gigantic tree.

Don’t let any of what I said lull you into a false sense of security, the film gets dark. Its gruesome imagery will turn some stomachs, the devilish stares will haunt dreams, and the ghastly voices may raise the hairs on your neck, but you will also find a laugh or two. As the film moves at a brisk pace, it does a great job of building tension and unease as it spider walks towards the exorcism. Its abrupt and sometimes loud scenes juke you into dizziness in order to catch you off guard later. The inclusiveness of multiple religions and spirituality makes it feel somewhat like a degraded Coexist bumper sticker. And the looming sense of animosity and dread are ever-present. With just enough easter eggs to satiate fans of the franchise while maintaining its own identity, The Exorcist: Believer is a nightmare scenario. It for sure will delight some fans, but it should’ve had the dial turned up to ten.

“One girl lives. One girl dies.”

When compared to its 50-year-old predecessor, it doesn’t. Because it was so new, controversial, and unfamiliar, it is almost impossible to capture the same haunting and unnerving energy that the original did. However, that’s not to say that Believer doesn’t have a place. For instance, it far exceeds The Exorcist 2. That said, the main event that we came to see, the exorcism, is a bit of a letdown. Instead of going Ultra Instinct, it opts for Super Saiyan 1, and we’ve seen that enough times. Having two people possessed isn’t enough to fluster true horror fans. And it can’t be blamed on a PG-13 rating. It does feature some chilling moments throughout its runtime, but those moments are fleeting. As it lacks some character development, it fails to allow us to stew in the horrors.

Fortunately, the performances are great, the atmosphere is perfect, and if you want to ease someone into supernatural cinema, this is a good start. Is this the greatest horror film? No. But it mostly works for what Green presented. More than anything this is a story about a man who has lost faith and needs a reason to believe again. If you focus on it from that perspective, the movie hits a lot different. It’s worth a watch. Its rewatchability is medium. Oh, and Tubular Bells (The Exorcist theme) is the greatest horror theme of all time. Yeah, I said it.

Pacing & Pop

The pacing is rather quick in the first act with its smash-and-dash editing that is purposefully disorienting. It fosters a chaotic atmosphere and creates an unbalanced plane that rarely allows you to catch your balance as your dodge scares. That is, until the 3rd act. What popped for me was the impossible situation that the parents are placed in. When hope is at its lowest who will crack first?

Characters & Chemistry

Starring: Leslie Odom, Jr., Ann Dowd, Jennifer Nettles, Norbert Leo Butz, Lidya Jewett, Olivia O’Neill and Ellen Burstyn

The performances are strong across the board. Leslie Odom Jr., Jennifer Nettles, and Norbert Leo Butz playing the parents to this degree had to put them in a difficult headspace. The emotion they are able to convey is very raw. The grief, guilt, and uncertainty that exudes from Odom Jr. spills from the screen like an overflowing tub. The girls, Lidya Jewett (Angela) and newcomer Olivia O’Neill (Katherine) are truly a sight to see. They are wonderfully unhinged and terrifying and I love it. And it was great to see Ellen Burstyn reprise her role as Chris MacNeil without pulling too much focus from the story at hand. Her tie-in worked wonderfully. There’s another surprise but I’ll let you see for yourself.

Rated: R

Runtime: 1h 51m

Director: David Gordon Green

Screenplay: Peter Sattler and David Gordon Green

Story: Scott Teems, Danny McBride, David Gordon Green

Producers: Jason Blum, David Robinson, James G. Robinson

Executive Producers: Danny McBride, David Gordon Green, Stephanie Allain, Ryan Turek and Atilla Yücer

https://youtube.com/watch?v=rSGeC880CYw%3Fsi%3D2sV3xWEFVe5mIyPm