As Halloween season begins, the sixth installment of the “Exorcist” movie franchise has arrived: “The Exorcist: Believer.” Directed by David Gordon Green (expected to direct two new “Exorcist” films in the coming years), the film develops the continuous lore of the infamous franchise while remaining tried and accurate to the canon.
A notable way that “The Exorcist: Believer” ties the film series together is the reprisal of original cast members from the original 1973 “Exorcist” film: Regan, the daughter possessed by a demon, and her mother Chris MacNeil, who witnessed it all. Chris is sought out by a father whose daughter is possessed, bringing new world-building and universe-bridging to the film franchise.
Beyond that, the film begins its own story. It follows a man named Victor (Leslie Odom Jr.), who is raising his daughter Angela (Lidya Jewett). Angela becomes a victim of demonic possession, along with her friend Katherine (Olivia O’Neill). Immediately, a frenzy ensues among the girls’ families.
Typical to the “Exorcist” films, “The Exorcist: Believer” is chock-full of religious—primarily Catholic—imagery. One familiar theme is the idea of internal conflicts related to religious identity. This is reminiscent of, for example, the B-plot in the first “Exorcist,” in which the priest is having trouble grappling with his faith, leading to his awareness of the possession.
This theme manifests itself in Angela’s father, for he had considered himself a devout atheist and had to grapple with theism upon realizing that Angela was possessed.
The idea of atheism versus the evidence of demons explains why the movie is called “The Exorcist: Believer”—it took Victor a lot to come to terms with what was happening.
Another theme was how organized religion can both bring people together and drive them apart—this is apparent with Katherine and her family, who are Catholic. Once Katherine became possessed, she began to wreak havoc at her family’s church viscerally, and no church members took action.
The film takes an inward look at the inherent complexities of religion and how it can be effectively applied to internal and external problem-solving. The film argues that people with varying beliefs and degrees of theism are vital for working through disaster and conflict. This is in opposition to a singular faith of singular strength.
These themes work well at conveying depth beyond the horror elements, as well as honoring the “Exorcist” namesake.
The girls’ families and others in their lives had come to harsh realizations about the situation. They realized that they needed help not traditionally sought out for behavioral problems. The families’ initial reactions to the situation varied as their religious views differed—and ultimately, finding common ground was the only conclusion they could come to. This adds a somewhat moral element to the film, which left me further engrossed.
Though two kids got possessed, the film centrally focuses on Angela and her father. Victor had lost his wife when she gave birth to their daughter, leading him to live with the loss. Angela and Katherine attempted to “talk” to Angela’s mother, which caused the demonic possession. Angela wanted to bring a scarf of her mother’s to perform the ritual, but Victor (unbeknownst to her plans) forbade her from bringing it anywhere, regardless of circumstances.
Victor and Angela’s grief is an interwoven thread that ties the story together. The film is mainly about losing someone you love and what that means—Regan stopped talking to her mother after she published a book about Regan’s exorcism, for example. The film ends on a note about grief as well.
How loss affects characters in “Believer” helps the audience get to know them more intimately and adds a unique depth to their motives.
The film is a very engaging watch. I recommend it if you prefer the blockbuster smash and mainstream horror, as it fits very distinctly within those genres. I didn’t find it scary beyond the occasional sharp jumpscare. It doesn’t take many tonal and psychologically horrific elements of indie horror.
“Believer” is an unapologetic symbol of its genre and an engrossing and deserved addition to the “Exorcist” film franchise. Watch it if you want to think, be scared, or even laugh at some of its shoddier attempts at horror.
