Name: The Exorcist: Believer
Genre: Horror
Released: 2023-10-04T00:00:00+00:00
Cast: Leslie Odom Jr., Lidya Jewett, Olivia O'Neill, Ann Dowd, Jennifer Nettles

The barn scene in The Exorcist: Believer is where David Gordon Green’s sequel to the 1973 classic makes its boldest misstep. Angela and Katherine, the two girls at the heart of this story, are found after a three-day disappearance, their bodies bearing strange burns but their minds seemingly intact. It’s a moment that should drip with dread, but instead, it feels like the film is already searching for footing.

Green, who co-wrote the screenplay with Peter Sattler from a story by Scott Teems, Danny McBride, and himself, seems determined to honor the legacy of William Friedkin‘s original while also trying to reinvent it. The result is a film that oscillates between reverence and confusion, never quite settling into a coherent vision. The Exorcist: Believer follows Victor Fielding (Leslie Odom Jr.), a photographer grappling with the loss of his wife, as he navigates the terrifying possession of his daughter Angela (Lidya Jewett). The film’s attempt to blend modern sensibilities with classic horror tropes is admirable, but it often feels like a patchwork quilt of ideas rather than a seamless whole.

Where The Exorcist: Believer succeeds is in its performances. Leslie Odom Jr. delivers a grounded and emotionally resonant portrayal of Victor, a man wrestling with faith and loss. His chemistry with Lidya Jewett, who brings a raw intensity to Angela, anchors the film in moments of genuine humanity. Ann Dowd, reprising her role as Nurse Ann Brooks from The Exorcist: Legacy, adds a layer of authenticity that grounds the supernatural elements in a tangible reality.

However, the film’s structural choices undermine its potential. The second act, which should be the crux of the horror, feels muddled and meandering. The decision to incorporate multiple faiths into the exorcism ritual—Catholicism, Baptist, Pentecostal, and rootwork healing—is an interesting one, but it lacks cohesion. Instead of deepening the thematic exploration of faith, it often feels like a checklist of religious practices rather than a unified spiritual battle.

The climax, which culminates in a brutal and unsatisfying ending, is where the film stumbles the most. The exorcism scene, intended to be the film’s crescendo, falls flat due to a lack of buildup and a rushed resolution. The emotional payoff is nonexistent, leaving both the characters and the audience adrift. It’s a cruel ending that feels more like a narrative cop-out than a deliberate choice.

The Exorcist: Believer earns points for its ambition and the strength of its performances, but it ultimately fails to deliver on the promise of its premise.