Despite an intriguing premise The Exorcist: The Believer will make the most ardent defenders of the famous horror saga lose faith. This seems officially doomed to have tasteless and ironically soulless sequels.
We admit that from the start we had little hope that American filmmaker David Gordon Green could bring a touch of freshness to the now fifty-year-old franchise. His work on the equally iconic Halloween series was criticized by many and left a bitter taste in fans’ mouths. And history unfortunately repeats itself with the addition of a sixth stone to the building, the Exorcist.
His intentions seemed noble, at least on paper. He even managed to convince Ellen Burstyn to return to lend her features to Chris MacNeil, a character she had abandoned since the very first film in 1973. We viewed this as a promise of rigor on the part of the filmmaker, his approach to the sacred work, and respect for the franchise and its characters. Unfortunately no.
Double exorcism
This time it is two young teenagers who form the center of the plot: friends Angela and Katherine. Missing for three days, they are eventually found to be less than safe and visibly changed during their inexplicable absence.
Then follow a series of allusions to the original work – including head rotation – and terribly conventional and predictable twists. We can’t help but think that David Gordon Green has toned down his comments, whether voluntarily or not. The rough edges of his words have been excessively polished to create an extremely sophisticated story, but without any transgressive or shocking element.
Gone are the powerful images, the unbearable tension and the obscenities of a possessed girl – all elements that contributed to the canonization of William Friedkin’s film. While the latter has imprinted its plans and lines on our collective imagination, its contemporary equivalent delivers a generic and boring story that has no chance of making an impression.
Worthy heirs of Linda Blair
Fortunately, The Exorcist: The Believer can count on particularly committed actors, especially the two young protagonists. Lidya Jewett and Olivia O’Neill prove to be genuinely convincing and embody the young Linda Blair of yesterday. The same goes for Leslie Odom Jr., who is particularly effective in the role of a desperate single father.
As for Ellen Burstyn, she may be in exceptional shape, but the treatment meted out to her legendary figure is nothing short of blasphemous because it is so reprehensible.
Apparently the fans’ prayers were not answered. Let’s hope they apply to The Exorcist: Deceiver, another David Gordon Green sequel confirmed and expected on our screens in spring 2025.
The Exorcist: The Believer ★★☆☆☆
- A film directed by David Gordon Green and starring Lidya Jewett, Olivia O’Neill and Ellen Burstyn. On the screen.