The Exorcist: Believer

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2. The Exorcist: Believer

The Reel Review

B-

50 years after it terrified audiences in The Exorcist, the demon Pazuzu is back – this time possessing two teenage girls who unknowingly conjure him while summoning the spirit of one girl’s mother who had died during childbirth in Haiti 13 years prior following an earthquake. Leslie Odom Jr. (Hamilton) and Ellen Burstyn, reprising her role of Regan’s mother from the original 1973 film, star in this supernatural horror.

Co/writer-director David Gordon Green uses the same formula as he did for his recent Halloween trilogy, ignoring all other, mostly terrible Exorcist sequels. And instead of just a couple of the usual Catholic priests doing the exorcising, Green opts for a do-it-yourself exorcism with a United Nations of religions represented. Despite decent visual effects and effectively creepy cinematography, that element almost feels like unintentional comedy, as – no surprise – the DIY exorcism does not go well.

That said, Exorcist: Believer is not a bad film – it actually is one of the better demonic possession horror movies in recent years, with a story that follows the vibe and even the camera techniques of the original. It also showcases impressive performances by Lidya Jewett (Good Girls) and newcomer Olivia O’Neill as the two possessed girls, Ann Dowd (Hereditary, The Handmaid’s Tale) as the nurse/neighbor, Odom as one girl’s father and Sugarland lead singer Jennifer Nettles as the other girl’s mother. Burstyn’s role is sadly the most disappointing – after so much buildup in the previews, her character gets a disappointingly short amount of screentime and a very unsatisfying edit. While adequate, there is a feeling that the film, more unsettling than terrifying, could have been so much better.

REEL FACTS

• Ellen Burstyn initially turned down reprising her role until producers doubled her salary, which the Actors Studio co-president donated to fund a scholarship at Pace University, where Actors Studio teaches acting.

• Film critic Ed Whitfield says William Friedkin, director of the 1973 film, prior to his August 2023 death, said “My signature film is about to be extended by the man who made Pineapple Express… if there is a spirit world, and I can come back, I plan to possess David Gordon Green and make his life a living hell.”

• The next entry in this planned trilogy is scheduled for an April 2025 release. The trilogy was guaranteed as part of Blumhouse’s $400 million spent to acquire filming rights.