The Exorcist: Believer

Universal Pictures paid $400 million for the keys to the kingdom of Pazuzu, which is a hell of a lot of money for a franchise that has historically struggled with every sequel since William Friedkin’s 1973 original. This isn't just a movie; it was a massive corporate bet on "legacy sequel" fever, the same trend that saw director David Gordon Green successfully resurrect Michael Myers a few years back. I watched this while my neighbor was power-washing his driveway, and the rhythmic, aggressive drone from outside actually added a weird layer of industrial dread to the opening scenes that the film’s actual score couldn't quite match.

A New Breed of Possession

The story shifts the focus from the cold, gray streets of Georgetown to the humid, mossy atmosphere of Georgia. We follow Victor Fielding (Leslie Odom Jr.), a photographer who has been raising his daughter, Angela (Lidya Jewett), alone since his wife died in a Haitian earthquake. When Angela and her friend Katherine (Olivia O'Neill) vanish into the woods for three days and return with no memory of where they’ve been—but a sudden penchant for stabbing things and screaming obscenities—we know exactly what’s happening.

What I appreciated about the setup was the focus on the "Believer" aspect. Unlike the original, which was a slow-burn battle between science and faith, this film reflects our modern, pluralistic era. It’s not just about one Catholic priest with a crisis of faith; it’s about a community of different backgrounds trying to figure out if they can group-chat their way through an exorcism. Leslie Odom Jr. (famous for Hamilton and Glass Onion) does a lot of heavy lifting here. He brings a grounded, grieving energy to Victor that makes the early, non-supernatural scenes feel genuinely tense.

The Legacy Problem

Eventually, the film realizes it has "The Exorcist" in the title and needs to justify that $400 million price tag. Enter Ellen Burstyn as Chris MacNeil. Seeing her back in this universe after five decades should have been a seismic event for horror fans. Apparently, Ellen Burstyn only agreed to return after the studio doubled her salary offer, which she then used to set up a scholarship program for young actors at Pace University. That is a legendary move, but her actual role in the film feels like a missed opportunity. She’s essentially there to provide exposition and a bridge to the past before the script treats her character with a shocking lack of reverence.

The horror mechanics here rely heavily on the "two for the price of one" gimmick. Having two possessed girls allows for some creepy synchronized movement and overlapping dialogue, but it also dilutes the focus. When the film gets to the big finale, it turned a spiritual crisis into an Avengers-style team-up against Satan. We have a Pentecostal preacher, a Catholic priest, a neighbor who’s a former nun (Ann Dowd), and even a root doctor. It’s a very 2023 "representation matters" approach to demonology, but it results in a climax that feels less like a holy ritual and more like a chaotic Zoom meeting where everyone is talking over each other.

Crafting the Chaos

From a technical standpoint, the film looks great. Cinematographer Michael Simmonds, who worked with Green on the Halloween films, uses a palette of sickly greens and deep shadows that make the hospital and bedroom settings feel appropriately claustrophobic. The makeup effects by Christopher Nelson are top-tier, avoiding the overly polished CGI look that plagues so many modern horror flicks. The girls actually look "rotten" in a way that pays homage to Dick Smith’s legendary work on the original.

There’s some fascinating trivia tucked into the production, too. Linda Blair, the original Regan MacNeil, actually served as a technical advisor on the film to help the young actresses navigate the grueling emotional and physical demands of playing the possessed. Her involvement was kept top secret during production, leading to one of the few genuine "fan service" moments in the final act that actually landed for me.

However, the film struggles with the weight of its own franchise expectations. In an era of "elevated horror" like Hereditary or Talk to Me, a jump-scare-heavy legacy sequel feels a bit dated. It tries to say something about the collective power of belief—that it doesn't matter what you believe in, as long as you believe together—but that message feels a bit thin when the demon is busy cracking jokes and rotating limbs.

Ultimately, The Exorcist: Believer is a victim of the modern franchise machine. It’s well-acted and professionally made, but it lacks the soul-shaking terror that made the 1973 film a cultural phenomenon. It trades the original’s cold, theological mystery for a loud, busy spectacle that feels more like a theme park attraction than a nightmare. If you’re looking for a well-made popcorn flick with a few decent scares, it’ll kill two hours, but it won’t leave you sleeping with the lights on.