george.schmidt Review of The Exorcist: Believer

The Exorcist: Believer (2023)

Yet another unnecessary chapter to the iconic horror film.

[7/10 · 11 October 2023]

THE EXORCIST: BELIEVER (2023) ** Leslie Odom, Jr., Lidya Jewett, Olivia O'Neill, Jennifer Nettles, Norbert Leo Butz, Ann Dowd, Raphael Sbarge, (Cameo: Linda Blair) Unnecessary chapter in the fledgling franchise this time with a double tap possession of two young girls (Jewett and O'Neill getting in touch with their inner Linda Blairs) and their parents' attempts to cast the demons out while enlisting legacy character Chris MacNeil (Burstyn, in little more than a glorified cameo shot, still brings the brittle and steadfast spirit of her iconic character at the age of 90!)to help their dire circumstances. While the affectionate salute to the late, great make-up wizard Dick Smith the practical f/x/prosthetics do mirror eerily his scary good creations, the film checks off all the boxes of a run-of-the-mill sequel. Filmmaker David Gordon Green once again plunders a beloved horror classic and essentially grave robs it of its spirit in spite of a wink and a nod to 'Tubular Bells' and Spoiler Alert: Blair's anticipated one shot.