Everyone Is Saying The Same Thing About The Exorcist: Believer
The Exorcist: Believer is set to debut in cinemas on October 6. However, early reviews for the first installment in the David Gordon Green-directed trilogy have mainly been negative. At the time of writing, the film holds a 25 percent critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 77 reviews. Although the score may change with more reviews, a rotten classification is not the best start.
The Exorcist: Believer is being panned by critics before its release.
A review by Variety writer Owen Geliberman described The Exorcist: Believer as “appearing superficially competent and lavishly produced, [but] it comes across as safe as a crucifix submerged in a bottle of designer water.” The Hollywood Reporter shared a similar sentiment, saying, “In contrast to Green’s Halloween trilogy, which delivered diminishing quality with each new installment, Believer compresses that downward trajectory within its very first chapter.”
Brian Truitt with USA Today awarded The Exorcist: Believer a three out of four rating while noting Burstyn’s limited screen time, “Odom receives a more substantial character arc than Burstyn did in the original, and while her return doesn’t carry the same narrative weight as Jamie Lee Curtis’ in the rebooted Halloween, Chris’ presence adds much-needed depth to the Believer storyline.”
Empire’s Olly Richards held a different perspective on Burstyn’s role in The Exorcist: Believer, saying, “The character seems more like a gimmick than a necessity, steering the film towards a cheesier path filled with callbacks, nods, and attempts to outdo the original. It transforms into a tribute performance, its unique identity fading in the shadow of a classic.”
While certain horror films, such as the recently released Saw X, have earned favorable reviews, horror genre fans are no strangers to critical panning. As such, it’s become less of a deterrent for moviegoers. Additionally, some reviews presented a more positive perspective on the new film while acknowledging that The Exorcist: Believer had its share of flaws.
The poor reviews for The Exorcist: Believer are not surprising, given the negative reception to every film in the franchise after the original.
“No one is gonna forget the [William] Friedkin film, but Green has deftly merged elements from that, the DNA of Burstyn for starters, and drives an entertaining sequel 50 years apart,” a Deadline review noted. Screen Rant had a similar perspective, saying, “Though somewhat tame, The Exorcist: Believer finds surprising emotional heft and genuine thrills as it attempts to revive an iconic horror franchise.”
Under the direction of Green, with a script penned by Peter Sattler, The Exorcist: Believer tells the story of Angela (Lidya Jewett) and Katherine (Olivia Marcum), two young girls who vanish in the woods. Upon their return a few days later, the girls have no memory of their experiences and start to exhibit peculiar behaviors.
Despite the poor reviews, The Exorcist: Believer is already receiving two more films, with the first arriving in 2025.
Angela’s father, Victor (Leslie Odom Jr.), eventually contacts Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn), whose daughter Regan was possessed in the original film. Two follow-up films are in the works, led by the same creative team of Green, Sattler, Scott Teems, and Danny McBride, the latter of which developed the story. The first sequel, The Exorcist: Deceiver, is scheduled for release on April 18, 2025.
The immediate panning of The Exorcist: Believer is not entirely surprising since the original film had a profound impact on filmmakers who sought to emulate it. Directed by William Friedkin and based on the 1971 novel by William Peter Blatty, The Exorcist is widely regarded as one of the most influential and terrifying horror films in cinematic history.
The film follows the story of a young girl named Regan MacNeil (Linda Blair) who becomes possessed by a demonic entity. Her mother, Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn), becomes desperate as her daughter’s behavior gets increasingly erratic and violent. Unable to find a medical explanation for Regan’s condition, Chris turns to a Jesuit priest named Father Damien Karras (Jason Miller) for help.
The film was groundbreaking in its use of special effects and makeup, particularly in its portrayal of Regan’s grotesque physical transformations. The disturbing imagery and the eerie and haunting score contributed to The Exorcist’s lasting impact. Its success led to several sequels and spin-offs, although none, including The Exorcist: Believer, achieved the same acclaim.
