"The Exorcist: Believer" Movie Review.

 "The Exorcist: Believer"

Movie Review.

The Exorcist: Believer is a 2023 American supernatural horror film, marking the latest installment in The Exorcist franchise. Directed by David Gordon Green, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Peter Sattler, the film's story was conceptualized by Scott Teems, Danny McBride, and Green himself. Serving as a direct sequel to the iconic The Exorcist which was released in (1973), it stands as the sixth film in the franchise, bridging nearly five decades of horror tradition. The film's ensemble cast includes Leslie Odom Jr., Lidya Jewett, Olivia O'Neill (in her film debut), Jennifer Nettles, Norbert Leo Butz, and Ann Dowd. Notably, Ellen Burstyn and Linda Blair reprise their roles from the original film, lending a direct connection to the franchise's beginnings. The plot follows a photographer who must confront an ancient evil when his daughter and her best friend become possessed.

Produced by Jason Blum under his Blumhouse Productions banner, alongside David and James G. Robinson through Morgan Creek Entertainment, the project also involved executive producers Green and McBride's Rough House Pictures. The origins of The Exorcist: Believer can be traced back to December 2020, when it was initially announced as a sequel to the original 1973 film. Universal Pictures, in collaboration with streaming service Peacock, acquired the distribution rights for a whopping $400 million in July 2021, with the intention of launching a new trilogy of The Exorcist films. This ambitious plan reflected the immense cultural legacy of the original, as Universal hoped to reignite the franchise for a modern audience. Filming for The Exorcist: Believer took place between November 2022 and March 2023, with a production budget set at $30 million.

Despite the film's high expectations, The Exorcist: Believer was met with a less-than-enthusiastic response from both critics and audiences. Released in the United States on October 6, 2023, it grossed a respectable $137 million at the global box office. However, the film received predominantly negative reviews, with many criticizing its lack of originality and coherence in comparison to its iconic predecessor. As a result of the lukewarm reception, plans for a new trilogy were ultimately scrapped the following year, and the franchise faced a reboot instead.

The story opens in Haiti, where photographer Victor Fielding and his pregnant wife Sorenne are on their honeymoon. Their bliss is abruptly shattered when a devastating earthquake strikes, gravely injuring Sorenne. Paramedics inform Victor that he must make an unthinkable choice: save his wife or their unborn child. In the end, Sorenne dies, and Victor is left to raise their daughter Angela alone, an event that strips him of his faith in God.

Thirteen years later, Victor and Angela are living in Georgia. Angela is now a teenager, still haunted by the absence of her mother. She and her best friend, Katherine West, decide to venture into the woods after school to conduct a séance, hoping to contact Angela's mother. What begins as a seemingly innocent ritual spirals into darkness when both girls mysteriously disappear. A frantic three-day search follows, and when they are finally found in a barn, the girls seem strangely normal, aside from inexplicable burns on their feet.

However, the girls’ behavior soon takes a turn for the worse. Angela begins exhibiting increasingly disturbing symptoms, prompting Victor to take her to the hospital. Their neighbor, Ann, a nurse, becomes involved in Angela's care and starts to suspect that something far more sinister is at play. Ann, a former novitiate with a tragic secret, believes that Angela is possessed after the girl reveals knowledge of Ann's past—specifically, her experience with the church and her secret abortion.

Desperate for answers, Ann gives Victor a memoir by Chris MacNeil, who famously dealt with a similar possession case involving her daughter, Regan, in 1973. Now a renowned expert on exorcisms, Chris has spent her life studying possession across different cultures. Victor reaches out to Chris, and she agrees to help. Chris’s relationship with Regan has been strained due to the public attention brought on by her memoir's success, but she remains committed to fighting the forces of evil.

Chris's arrival sets the stage for a terrifying confrontation. She first visits Angela, then goes to Katherine’s house in an attempt to perform a deliverance ritual. However, the situation quickly spirals out of control when Katherine stabs Chris in the eyes with a cross, blinding her in the process.

With Chris incapacitated, the remaining group—Victor, Ann, and Katherine's parents, Tony and Miranda—turn to the Church for help. Although the local Catholic diocese refuses to authorize an official exorcism, believing that the girls are suffering from a psychiatric disorder, the group presses forward with a multi-faith approach. They enlist the help of Father Maddox, a local priest, Don Revans, the West family’s Baptist pastor, Stuart, a Pentecostal preacher, and Dr. Beehibe, a rootwork healer. Together, they plan an ecumenical exorcism, drawing from various religious traditions.

As the exorcism unfolds, the demon reveals a chilling truth: Victor had chosen to save Sorenne during the earthquake, not Angela. The demon forces the parents to choose again, threatening that one girl must die for the other to live. Although both families refuse to make such a horrific choice, the situation escalates when Father Maddox, who initially backed out, rejoins the group. He begins reading from the Roman Ritual, but the demon retaliates, snapping Maddox’s neck and killing him instantly.

In a moment of desperate faith, Victor begins reciting the Lord’s Prayer, praying for Angela’s salvation. Meanwhile, Tony, in a panic, screams that he chooses to save Katherine. In a cruel twist, the demon reveals that the chosen one will be the one to die. Katherine is dragged to Hell, screaming for her parents, while Angela miraculously revives and reunites with Victor.

In the aftermath, Angela returns to school, attempting to resume a normal life. Tony and Miranda mourn the loss of their daughter, while Victor visits Sorenne’s grave, finally finding some peace. In a bittersweet reunion, Chris, still blind, is visited by Regan, who forgives her mother, bringing closure to their long-strained relationship.