Universal Pictures
In the continuing trend of studios bringing back their classic franchises as easy productions to lure audiences into theatres, Universal is once again revisiting their famous horror series The Exorcist with the new film Believer: it’s heavy on drama and light on the scares.
From a marketing standpoint, the concept is actually quite exciting. This sequel retcons all past sequels to the 1973 Oscar-winning classic (and a turning point for horror in film history itself) and acts as an immediate sequel, being released now in 2023 - exactly 50 years later.
So too do the events take place 50 years later, with a single father (Leslie Odom Jr.) and a neighbouring couple in modern Georgia seeking the help of Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn, reprising her Oscar-winning role) when their two daughters go missing and suddenly appear to become possessed by an evil spirit.
David Gordon Green takes the directing helm, continuing his fame after re-energizing the horror classic Halloween to great success in 2018. Unfortunately, his Exorcist revamp is less successful because the film is devoid of any suspense or original ways to scare the audience. Instead, it’s a repeat of what the 1973 original does better.
Green has a great technical skill in revitalizing famous horror stories in the 21st century, but like his last two Halloween films, he comes up short on finding a grounded centre or moral for his stories, or at very least a unique conflict.
The ending promises an exciting, high-stakes choice, and just as the peril becomes realized there’s hope the film may amount to a satisfying conclusion. But the film’s final moments betray this hope, and the ending is left devoid of purpose or dramatic insight.
What I really liked best is Odom Jr. as father Victor, in crisis trying to save his daughter Angela. He’s displaying the grounding and fear the rest of the production doesn’t. While many of the actors are greatly skilled, the other standout is Ann Dowd as Victor’s neighbour and a nurse helping the cause. She has a heartbreaking character arc that turns from nasty to truly beautiful and inspiring.
Audiences looking for well-crafted drama should look to the original Exorcist instead of this. Those looking for truly gripping horror should go see the far scarier Saw X, also now in theatres. Neither will find anything engaging in The Exorcist: Believer.
The Exorcist: Believer
5 out of 10
14A, 1hr 51mins. Drama Horror.
Directed by David Gordon Green.
Starring Leslie Odom Jr., Lidya Jewett, Olivia Marcum, Ann Dowd, Jennifer Nettles, Norbert Leo Butz and Ellen Burstyn.
Now Playing at Film.Ca Cinemas, 5 Drive-in, Cineplex Winston Churchill & VIP and Cineplex Oakville & VIP. Also in IMAX.
