The Exorcist Believer review: A cinematic abomination that taints the original's legacy

David Gordon Green's ill-fated attempt to rekindle the eerie brilliance of William Friedkin's 1973 masterpiece, The Exorcist, has culminated in a cinematic blunder of biblical proportions with The Exorcist: Believer. The audacity of this cinematic atrocity is enough to make your head spin — not in a possessed-by-demons way, but in a "What in the name of all that is holy were they thinking?" way. The film, which serves as a direct sequel to the original while ignoring previous instalments, is a lamentable stain on the venerable original film.

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At the forefront of this cinematic travesty is the regrettable decision to resurrect Ellen Burstyn, a luminary from the original film, only to squander her talents in a pitiful, undignified role. It is akin to casting a virtuoso violinist to play a kazoo. Burstyn's presence, rather than bolstering the narrative, serves as a grim reminder of how far this once-proud franchise has fallen.

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Believer introduces us to a new generation of possessed individuals, Angela and Katherine, doubling the trouble in a desperate attempt to compensate for a complete lack of originality. Green seems more interested in crafting an atmosphere of spiritual malaise than in delivering actual scares. The possession itself, the very essence of the original's terror, is treated as an afterthought, culminating in an exorcism scene so devoid of tension that you'd think they were performing a demonic dance-off.

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The film's grandiose ambition to explore a multicultural approach to exorcism is a promise left unfulfilled. It's as if they tossed various religious elements into a cauldron and hoped for something meaningful to emerge. Instead, we are served a lukewarm spiritual stew that does more to confuse than enlighten. It's like trying to serve a buffet of culinary delights but forgetting to add any actual flavour.

Narrative coherence is a foreign concept in Believer, as it meanders through scenes and subplots that seem thoroughly disconnected from each other. Ann Dowd and Jennifer Nettles are handed characters so poorly developed that they might as well have been cardboard cutouts. While Leslie Odom Jr delivers a commendable performance, his efforts are in vain within the context of this cinematic debacle.

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Believer not only ruins the memory of the original — it vomits pea soup all over it. This cinematic abomination is an affront to horror fans, a blasphemous betrayal of a genre-defining classic, and a vivid reminder that some legacies should be left undisturbed. If you're a fan of the original Exorcist, avoid this cinematic sacrilege at all costs. Your sanity and reverence for horror cinema will thank you.

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For aficionados of the original Exorcist seeking to rekindle its chilling splendour, this cinematic misadventure is best relegated to the annals of regrettable cinema. Believer is an attempt to resurrect the past that only serves to deteriorate it further.

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