Nerds That Geek Movie Review – ‘The Exorcist: Believer’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

(from left) Angela Fielding (Lidya Jewett) and Katherine (Olivia O’Neill) in The Exorcist: Believer, directed by David Gordon Green. © 2023 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the motion picture, ‘The Exorcist: Believer’. Also, this piece was written during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. Without the labor of the actors currently on strike, the movie being covered here wouldn’t exist.
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It is definitely safe to say, that The Exorcist franchise is one of horror’s most important and controversial, and storied franchises out there. After all, it was met with incredible fanfare and resistance when it debuted back in the 1970s, courtesy of a story that took a taboo topic in the midst of a staunchly conservative era in American history… and put it on display in a raw and terrifying manner. But in the end, the potential of this story and the scares it provided allowed for it to win the day. To the point where sequels and prequels for this franchise came forth throughout the years. Some of which were well-received, while others were not… but regardless of the reception… this story and its concepts continue to endure and fascinate us, and with good reason.
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After all, it pokes about in territory we still don’t talk about all that often, since few are comfortable with pondering up on the possibility that there might be a real evil out there, waiting to enter humanity and wreak havoc, especially with technology proving so many myths to be just that. But the potential, does leave us curious as to what that might look like. And of course… there is the fact that just settling in for one of these stories also adds a real air of uncomfortable anticipation. Since we are eager to know if it will scare the hell out of us as the original and the third films managed to do, and well the allure of this franchise is so great that it should come as no surprise that new stories from within its realm continue to pop up, and it just so happens that a new entry in the saga is in theaters now, one that works to shake up the mythos in a bold new manner in The Exorcist: Believer. 

Now this is a motion picture from the world of Blumhouse and Universal Pictures, and writer/director David Gordon Green that works to serve as a direct line sequel to the original. Bypassing the events of everything else to plunge us into a world where Regan MacNeil’s ordeal is long forgotten and surely cannot come to light again in an age of technology and information. But the unique choices of two teenagers named Angela and Katherine, to contact the dead, brings forth trouble for their families. For something dark has indeed found them and possessed them and it will be up to a community that harbors conflicting views upon faith to figure out how to come together to save them from an evil that has not been seen on this earth since Regan MacNeil’s exorcism incident.

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Which is… a plot that works well when it comes to the story’s overall goal to shake up the mythos for modern times while paying respect to the core tenants of the franchise. Since we get some lovely commentary on how the relationship between the church and the average American has changed greatly since the 1970s, which perfectly explores how in this modern age of medicine, people would react to the reality that evil was real and could infest a body in a unique and surprised manner, and that brings forth some fascinating scenes for certain, and of course… some genuinely unsettling ones. Because a lack of knowledge and belief in the supernatural, also brings forth raw confusion and fear, the likes of which we rarely see in horror features these days, and that leads to some quality scares for certain, moments that harken back to the original story in a respectful and organic manner, and a tense finale that truly tests every single character in this film like never before. 
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But you’ll note that the world ‘quality’ is used to describe the scares and there is good reason for that. Because you see, while this motion picture does an amazing job of adding to the mythos of the franchise, especially by bringing Ellen Burstyn back into the fold as Chris MacNeil, there is a spot where it is lacking… and it is a problem that plagued most films in this franchise. In that, this story holds back from what it can really accomplish from a scare standpoint. For the original and the third film, were eager to push the envelope and really dive deep into our fears of the afterlife and what evil might exist there. Whereas this film, plays it a bit safe. Yes, there’s evil, there’s tension and gore. But it doesn’t take risks and it doesn’t just unleash a terrifying volley of scares that are as otherworldly as the ones Father Merrin and Father Karras encountered ages ago.

Which is a shame. Because the foundation of this film is sound, and the acting is simply top notch across the board, since every actor in this film brings their A-game to the table, and real scares, the kind that go all out… would have made this film legendary in nature. But alas, it is instead, nothing more than a decent entry in the franchise. One that is creepy and thoughtful but won’t generate the kind of buzz as the original. Which isn’t a bad thing by any means. It just underwhelms at times when the audience is hoping for something more, but it is still a solid way to enjoy an hour and a half, and it does indeed leave the viewer with plenty to ponder upon when it comes to our relationship with religion in this modern era. And it of course does leave one wondering… what other struggles modern man would run into if by chance we discovered evil was real in an era where such matters are no longer held in such high regard.

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