Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Okay, first off, for a movie called “The Exorcist: Believer,” the person who gets to be the exorcist has one of the shortest screen times. There, you’ve been warned, so adjust your expectations accordingly.
Director David Gordon Green has co-written the story with Peter Sattler and Scott Teems for this 2023 film, which exists in the same universe as William Peter Blatty’s 1973 hit “The Exorcist,” which is the first horror film to win an Oscar. Set decades later, “The Exorcist: Believer” follows two young girls – Angela (Lidya Jewett) and Katherine (Olivia O’Neill) – who go missing in the woods, only to appear days later with no memory of what happened to them, but disturbingly changed from the experience. Angela’s father, Victor Fielding (Leslie Odom Jr.), reaches out to elderly author Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn) for help, as she had experienced something similar with her own daughter.
“The Exorcist: Believer” takes its time to establish the main story, opening with a flashback scene set in Haiti, where Victor Fielding is on holiday with his pregnant wife. A young boy lures Victor’s wife at the market, promising a blessing for their baby by local shamanic women. The baby grows up to be Angela, one of the girls whose life is endangered due to demonic possession. Leslie Odom Jr. is convincingly portrayed as Angela’s father Victor, who, despite being a skeptic and non-believer, is willing to take extreme steps to save his precious daughter from whatever is affecting her. Actors Lidya Jewett and Olivia O’Neill deliver subtly terrifying performances as the young girls whose bodies have been overtaken by something sinister.
The cinematography, particularly the camera work and angles in the first half of the film, can be quite jarring. There are numerous long shots, giving the impression of someone clandestinely tracking the protagonists with a high-quality spy camera. However, the settings aptly suit an atmospheric horror movie, ranging from the vibrant Haitian markets to the eerie dark woods and oppressive hospital corridors.
With demonic activity largely confined to the second half, the creators minimize the use of special effects, and surprisingly, there are fewer jump scares than expected. Director David Gordon Green cleverly sets up several scenes to evoke classic horror tropes, only to subvert expectations by taking the scene in a different direction. There are very evident nods to the original “Exorcist” movie, whether it’s the classic puking scene, which has become a standard cliché in most horror films, or, of course, the iconic body getting raised in the air, which never gets old and was fantastically executed in the recent “Evil Dead Rise” film.
“The Exorcist: Believer” may be lacking in chillingly scary scenes, gore, and screams, but it steadily builds the story like a psychological drama. Religious themes and discussions play a significant role, which may deter some viewers, but given the film’s title, it’s to be expected. The climax unveils an interesting twist, which isn’t as clever as the writers seem to think, but regardless, things conclude on a tragic note, yet there’s a hopeful epilogue scene afterward. While horror fans seeking a fast-paced, tension-filled experience may be disappointed, I found it to be a worthwhile one-time watch.
You can watch “The Exorcist: Believer” on JioCinema or rent it on Prime Video/YouTube.
Writer’s note – The Pope’s Exorcist is a better film & is also on Netflix.
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