The franchise returns to the big screen courtesy of Blumhouse, so we headed to Cineworld to check out The Exorcist Believer to see if it had the scares that we were promised in the trailers.
The Exorcist Believer has been released as a chilling supernatural thriller that delves into the complex realms of faith, possession, and the battle between good and evil. Set in a small, devout community, the film follows Father Michael O’Sullivan, a dedicated priest with unyielding faith, who is called upon to confront an unprecedented evil that threatens to shatter the lives of the townspeople.
When a series of inexplicable and horrifying events unfold, Father Michael is drawn into a sinister web of malevolent forces. Convinced that a malevolent presence has taken hold of a vulnerable soul, he embarks on a treacherous journey to uncover the truth and save the afflicted.
As Father Michael grapples with his own beliefs and inner demons, he encounters unexpected allies, including a sceptical but determined psychologist, Dr. Emily Hartman. Together, they must navigate a labyrinth of ancient rituals, personal doubts, and unimaginable terrors to exorcise the malevolence that threatens to consume them all.
One of the key things that appealed to me with The Exorcist Believer was the return of Ellen Burstyn reprising her role as Chris MacNeil from The Exorcist (1973) sadly the short role fell short of my expectations and although it was great to see the character back in the franchise along with another returning character, I felt it seemed to be a lost opportunity to bring the characters in to make the film canon in the franchise.
While the trailers certainly promised a spine-chilling experience I found that most of the scares relied on those tired horror tropes and clichés of loud noises and wondering what was hiding behind a door or in the corner of the room.
I did enjoy the performances from Olivia O’Neill as Katherine and Lidya Jewett as Angela the two girls that had become the conduits for the demon returning back to the land of the living to try to bring hell to Earth. But I still found myself thinking back to William Friedkin‘s 1973 movie and thinking that the possession of Regan McNeil was still more terrifying than the two children put together.
The Exorcist Believer does have a slow start, but then again so did the 1973 film, but maybe it’s nostalgia and my love for the original film that just had me wanting more horror and fear from this release that you could easily say is a soft reboot of the franchise.
Despite a few moments of decent tension, the overall impact was underwhelming. This film didn’t manage to live up to its potential, leaving me more frustrated than frightened.
Sadly not enough scares in this one!
Movie title: The Exorcist Believer (2023)
Movie description: When two girls disappear into the woods and return three days later with no memory of what happened to them, the father of one girl seeks out Chris MacNeil, who's been forever altered by what happened to her daughter fifty years ago.
Date published: October 18, 2023
Country: UK
Duration: 1h 51m
Director(s): David Gordon Green
Actor(s): Linda Blair, Ellen Burstyn, Olivia O'Neill
Genre: Horror
Summary
Sadly the film doesn’t have the scares I was hoping for, it is great to see some returning cast but that really doesn’t save The Exorcist Believer from being a fairly mediocre “horror”.
Karen Woodham is the founder and owner of the Blazing Minds. She is also a Cinema reviewer and works with RealD 3D reviewing the latest 3D releases and IMAX, she has also had several articles published in various publications including the first edition of SFW Magazine. In 2015 she became an Award Winning Blogger and also has her website listed as one of the UK’s Top 10 Film Blogs.
