Directed by David Gordon Green
Starring Leslie Odom Jr., Raphael Sbarge, Jennifer Nettles, Ann Dowd, Lidya Jewett, Olivia O’Niell, and Ellen Burstyn

Repackaging a classic film for a modern audience always requires some work, but many franchises lately have given it their best crack. From Evil Dead to Terminator, with the latter recently sharing the approach that The Exorcist: Believer opts for: Please ignore the other sequels, this is the real follow up.

While Believer isn’t quite a reboot, it certainly seems to be attempting to shelve some of the more questionable entries that sapped the prestige from its original ground-breaking 1973 beginning. What’s most interesting about this latest attempt to renew the audience’s interest is how the formula pitches itself for a modern time.

Victor Fielding (Leslie Odom Jr.) is the single father of Angela (Lidya Jewett), who ventures into the woods with her classmate Katherine (Olivia O’Niell), where they attempt to conjure up a link to the afterlife so that Angela can connect with her dead mother. This effort goes all the way south when both children are possessed by a demon, who director David Gordon Green says is different from Pazuzu – the ghoul that has been the staple of the franchise since its inception. 

With a new demon, and a new century, Believer confronts the drastic change of culture that has evolved since the 70s, namely the forsaken society it arrives in. Widespread religion doesn’t have a grip on the culture like it did 50 years ago and that’s where the most thought-provoking portions of the film emerge. While the dense religious allegories are still layered throughout every subtext of the plot, a large crux of it plays out through our protagonist Victor, an ambiguous non-believer. It’s not that he’s an ardent atheist, in fact it’s never made clear exactly what he is, but he comfortably lands as a relatable pillar to ease into the concept of an exorcism in the modern age.

In stark contrast to Victor, the rest of his neighbourhood, including Katherine’s family, are quite heavily religious and it’s his scepticism of them that makes Believer stand apart from its lineage. It felt like an easy introduction to such a dense lore, which audiences discover alongside Victor, instead of sitting through half a dozen movies to keep up.

The horror, on the other hand, was quite tame by today’s standards. The Nun, another horror relying heavily on religion, is an apt comparison here. Instead of the cheap thrills abused by The Conjuring spinoff, Believer relies on an investment in its characters and the paternal need to save children from suffrage to create a distinct discomfort for most of its runtime. Although there could have been more done to develop Angela and Katherine before the demon rears its ugly head, a considerable amount of time is spent fleshing out the neighbourhood and its different personalities, and religions, to build towards a worthwhile payoff of teamwork and endurance when the going gets tough. The uncomfortable humour of the first Exorcist returns in Believer, as the children are infected with a debauchery that is entirely unbecoming of their youth. It certainly works to make the demon feel all the more real, even when played by pre-teens whose parents bear witness to their steady undoing.

When Believer tries to stand on its own, that’s when it’s at its best, with the new agnostic concepts that reach beyond religions being a real highlight. However, direct call-backs to previous entries in the mythos were a weak point in the film, despite the satisfaction that stems from seeing an old face and familiar plotline. The best scenes come when Believer believes in itself, and to the film’s credit that makes up most of it. Family values now stand at the forefront of The Exorcist, and with Believer expected to be the first in a new trilogy, it’s off to a great start.

The Exorcist: Believer is showing in cinemas across Australia from October 5th.

Moviedoc thanks Universal Pictures for the invite to the screening of this film.

Reviewed by Zak Wheeler for Moviedoc

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