The Big Picture
- The Exorcist: Believer does not have an end-credits scene.
- The critical response to The Exorcist: Believer has been negative, with the film receiving poor reviews and being considered one of the worst releases of the year.
- The future of the Exorcist series remains uncertain, but director David Gordon Green and producer Jason Blum have discussed the pressure of starting something new and leave open the possibility of helming more films in the future.
Fifty years ago, the late, great director William Friedkin forever changed the world of cinema by unleashing the pinnacle of horror that is The Exorcist into it. Now, David Gordon Green has made a soulless horror sequel that lacks the same enduring scares in The Exorcist: Believer. Not only is it a work that tries to carry the torch onward, it is also meant to kick off a new trilogy of films. Thus, there is always a chance that you are going to see a tease for more to come. You know what I’m talking about, the infamous end-credits scene that we all wait for out of curiosity just to see if there is going to be some sort of final closer to send us out in the world. However, in the case of The Exorcist: Believer, there is not actually one to stick around for. That’s right, you can go home without fear of missing anything. If you’re still here and one of the few who hasn’t yet seen the film for yourself, here is some additional background on what we can tell you about the experience as of now.
How Does ‘The Exorcist: Believer’ Connect to ‘The Exorcist’?
Taking place decades after the events of the original film, there is an existing narrative connection between the two — namely, the return of Ellen Burstyn as Chris MacNeil, whose daughter was the one originally possessed in the first film. The story folds her into it briefly when a new parent, Victor Fielding, (Leslie Odom Jr.) tries to find answers for the similar predicament facing his daughter. As it turns out, Chris had written a book about her experiences and used that money to buy a house for herself. However, that alienated her from her daughter who is not initially in the picture and seems to have cut herself off from her mother. Regardless, Chris offers to help Victor however she can with the knowledge that she has accumulated. However, that proves to be not so easy, and the two will soon find there is a steep cost to her return.
What Has the Critical Response Been to ‘The Exorcist: Believer’?
The short answer: not great, Bob! Currently, the film is one of the worst reviewed releases of the year and only just slightly better than a couple of the other previous failed sequels. In Collider’s review, our assessment was that “even with a talented cast and a potential story that could stand on its own if made the focus, The Exorcist: Believer never has the confidence to let its strongest aspects take center stage.” The review went on to criticize the ending, saying that “the fact that it tries to walk back the more grim realities in its ending so that it can be cloyingly uplifting is a misunderstanding of the impact that the original left” and generally summed it up by arguing that “where Friedkin’s classic will endure forever, this superficial sequel remains stuck in the past.” The question then still remains, what future will it have both for the series that was just getting started and for Green?
What Comes Next for This New ‘Exorcist’ Series?
In an interview with Collider’s Editor-in-Chief Steve Weintraub before the review embargo had lifted, Green and producer Jason Blum talked about the pressure of starting something new. For his part, Blum said, “there’s double pressure. There’s pressure of the IP of The Exorcist and pressure of the unique deal around the three movies. So, I’d definitely say I felt a little bit of added pressure.” Later in the interview, Green didn’t rule out whether he would direct more in the future, saying “we’ll see, we’ll see,” before outlining some more of what the plan currently is. “The idea is we built a road map that I think has so many different avenues that we could take. The world of exorcism and possession is so vast. The world of spirituality is so curious to me that there are so many questions that I have,” the director said. “As the movie finds itself existing in the world over the next few weeks, I think a lot of those questions will be answered.”
Sounds Like That Could Be a While, What Other Movies Are Coming Out This Month?
Looking for other horror offerings to see this October? You’re in luck as we’ve got a whole breakdown of everything that is coming in the genre and beyond. If you’re looking for a stunningly gruesome possession movie that has been gaining more positive reviews, one particular highlight is the gleefully mean-spirited horror ride to hell When Evil Lurks that previously had its premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival. Now coming to theaters starting October 6 followed by a Shudder release on October 27, it dives into a depraved world when two brothers discover something very wrong in their community.
In Collider’s review from the festival, it was described as a film “that is not for the squeamish as characters are dispatched with an often unrelenting brutality. Though there is some narrative wheel spinning it goes through before really getting into this, it demolishes anything and everything in its path once the brothers hit the road.” In terms of the way this all comes together, this drew special praise as well, highlighting how “there is a tension to how this is all staged, with a cavalcade of creepy kids lurking about, just before it caves in some heads once more. Even when you then think it may have all settled down, the film twists the knife even further. It provides the cherry on top of a bloody sundae that you may just want to vomit up after gritting your teeth to swallow it all down.”
The Exorcist: Believer comes to theaters on October 6.
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