The Exorcist: Believer is the much-anticipated "requel" that attempts to reboot the seminal franchise by ignoring all sequels and acting as a direct continuation of the 1973 original. Director David Gordon Green (who did the same for the Halloween franchise) certainly brings a glossy, modern professionalism to the table, but the film is ultimately crushed under the immense weight of its legacy.
The story follows Victor Fielding (Leslie Odom Jr.), a widowed father raising his daughter Angela alone after a tragic event in Haiti. Their lives are shattered when Angela and her best friend, Katherine, disappear into the woods for three days. When they return, they are clearly traumatized and soon begin displaying terrifying, non-stop signs of demonic possession—and this time, there are two of them. Desperate and out of secular options, Victor seeks out the only person alive who truly understands this horror: Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn), the mother of Regan MacNeil from the original film.
Beyond the Jumpscare Analysis: The film’s greatest strength is its core idea: the failure of the modern world to fight spiritual evil. The original film was a clash between two Catholic priests and the Devil; Believer features a chaotic, interdenominational "exorcism task force" composed of a Baptist pastor, a Pentecostal preacher, a Catholic priest (who is blocked by the diocese), and a rootwork healer. This effort to reflect a more diverse, community-based approach to battling evil is thematically interesting, but in practice, it makes the finale feel messy and dramatically inert.
The film suffers from the "double the possession, double the problems" syndrome. By having two possessed girls, the film dilutes the terrifying focus and character development that made Regan's plight so visceral. The raw, desperate atmosphere of the original is replaced with a reliance on CGI and rapid-fire taunts. While it’s fantastic to see Ellen Burstyn reprise her role, her screen time is tragically limited, leaving the film reliant on new characters who often feel undercooked.
The Exorcist: Believer is a serviceable modern horror film on its own, but it simply cannot carry the monumental burden of its namesake. It’s an essential watch for franchise completists, but it ultimately confirms the sad truth that William Friedkin's masterpiece may be one property that simply cannot be successfully franchised.
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