Old-school horror fans are ecstatic with the release of “The Exorcist: Believer.” Considered the scariest horror movie of the time, “The Exorcist” took the industry by storm in 1973. “The Exorcist: Believer” was released Oct. 6, and fans are eager to see if the movie will live up to the legacy set by its predecessor.  

Directed by David Gorden Green, “The Exorcist: Believer” follows two best friends, Katherine (Olivia O’Neil) and Angela (Lidya Jewett), who are trying to make contact with the spirit realm to communicate with loved ones. Things quickly take a sour turn, and both of them are possessed by a demonic entity. As their families scramble to find solutions, reaching out to hospitals, psychiatric services, churches and the like, they soon realize that only one of the girls can be saved, while the other is fated to die. 

Overall, the plot took excessive effort to hook the audience, which could be attributed to a number of factors, including pacing and a lack of emotional communication with viewers. The pacing of the movie was slow in the beginning, which led to the audience losing interest. Furthermore, it felt as though the audience could not connect with the characters or get a good grasp on the gravity of the situation presented to them because parts of the acting felt stale, and it was difficult to fully feel the intensity of certain scenes. The movie really missed the mark on emotionally connecting to viewers. 

The plot was also somewhat presented in a bland manner and watching it gives viewers a sense of drudgery. It seemed as though the movie was going through the motions of giving context to the eventual exorcism that audiences were expecting by the title of the film; there was nothing extraordinary about the setup of the exorcism itself besides a few creative callbacks to the original exorcist movie, which unfortunately didn’t do much to further the storyline. “The Exorcist” fans will appreciate the Regan references and throwbacks to the ancient evil that haunted the 1973 film. Taking into account newer film technology and the standard for more recent horror movies, it is safe to say that newer audiences may not fully acknowledge the hype behind “The Exorcist: Believer.”

In addition to it being lackluster, the plot also had holes in terms of the demon’s motives and background. It was unclear as to what the demon wished to achieve through the girls and if there was any real reasoning behind possessing them. While those questions might have been answered in a previous movie, it wouldn’t have hurt to clue in viewers who watched “The Exorcist: Believer” as a standalone movie. 

Questions also remained about the purpose of certain characters, like the priest and Regan’s relative, who felt like they were introduced only to be in a conversation or two and then die. Consequently, the entire film pretty much rested on the laurels of the dual exorcism being horrifically stellar. 

The exorcism in this movie was very reminiscent of the purging of the demon in the 1973 film. They both played on the innocence of the girls, and the makeup and special effects had the audience shifting in their seats with unease. The visuals in the exorcism scene were truly gut-churning and disturbing, which is definitely a staple of this cinematic universe. Compared to other popular movies that are littered with jumpscares, it was a bold risk to minimize the number of jumpscares to make room for the main exorcism to shine but it was certainly warranted since the main purpose of the film seemed to be to bring about a sense of nostalgia for “The Exorcist” fans.

O’Neil and Jewett did an incredible job portraying the possessed girls. They were able to hone in on the haunting and disturbing parts of the possession, which added a subtle nuance to the portrayal of the characters on screen. Additionally, Leslie Odom Jr., who played Angela’s father in the film, did the best job of getting the audience to emotionally invest in the characters on screen. His acting felt very believable in the sense that most parents would act the way he did in this given situation: he scoured endlessly for solutions and tried his best to put up a strong front for his child even though he was incredibly scared and stressed, making his portrayal of the character extremely convincing. Odom also had a palpable commitment to his character, and really stayed true to the morals and characteristics that were assigned to him. 

This movie did an exceptional job of highlighting actors of color and gave them roles that were well-rounded, creative and didn’t solely revolve around their racial background. Jewett and Odom’s talent was put at the forefront, and their casting into these major roles is an extremely crucial and commendable decision to note. It is too often that actors of color are given roles of meaningless side characters for “diversity’s sake” and never given the recognition they deserve outside of storylines focused on the tragedies they have faced based on their race. “The Exorcist: Believer” did an amazing job making sure that Jewett and Odom were never sidelined in the narrative. 

“The Exorcist: Believer” isn’t the best standalone horror movie to go for, especially if you are looking for something engaging, exciting and new. This film brings about a unique sense of nostalgia for fans of the 1973 film, and truly is a treat for them. Enthusiasts of “The Exorcist” cinematic universe will absolutely love the callbacks and niche references to the original movie and other parts of the lore. Bringing back the magic of one of the scariest films in history and a delightful blast from the past, “The Exorcist: Believer” is undoubtedly a great pick for fans.