The Exorcist: Believer – REVIEW
Image: THE EXORCIST: BELIEVER. Image: film still
The sixth chapter in The Exorcist franchise spooks its way into cinemas, and participation from the original cast member, Ellen Burstyn has fiercely increased the anticipation.
The story follows two girls who go missing in a forest. When they return they believed they had only been away for a few hours, but actually, they’d been gone for 3 days and walked 30 miles.
They slowly become depersonalised. Were they showing traditional signs of demonic possession or were they experiencing mental issues as suggested by neurologists? What did the girls do in the forest to open the gates from hell? Could the transition in the girls’ personalities be a result from a decision which was made by one of the fathers 13 years earlier?
The Catholic Church turns a blind eye, claiming it would be ‘religious interference’ to intervene. Enter Chris MacNeil, the role Ellen Burstyn reprises from the original 1973 hit The Exorcist. She is the only expert in the field who can aid in releasing these two girls from demonic possession owing to the years she devoted in researching the subject.
“I know who you are and you know who I am!” screams MacNeil to the demon; and so the terror commences!
This is quite a respectable sequel with twice the demons. The main storyline involves the two girls suffering demonic possession but the secondary storyline, which should be of more interest to moviegoers, surrounds MacNeil and what happened to her daughter, Regan, in the years following the original Exorcist film and the sequel Exorcist II: The Heretic. She explains that Regan is missing – she has been in hiding for years and her whereabouts are unknown.
Momentum builds slowly in the first act, offering the occasional traditional jump scare moment, but when the demonic action escalates, be warned, there’s no going back! Darkness emerges and there are plenty of frightening scenes that may shock. It’s like a thrilling rollercoaster ride – you want to get off but you don’t really. Ultimately what would an exorcist movie be without the neck snapping and vomit spewing scenes which made the original such a standout and memorable horror classic?
There are many elements within this production which are uncannily reminiscent of the original – notably the style of direction, camera angles, the musical score, the grotesqueness of the makeup, the verbal profanities, and the handheld actions with the holy crucifix.
Fans of the supernatural horror genre won’t be disappointed in The Exorcist: Believer. And take note! Just when you think it’s all over there’s a special cameo appearance in the final moments which should leave stunned audiences gasping for air!
★★★1/2
In Cinemas October 6
