“Exorcist: Believer” hit theaters this weekend, but it delivered disappointment from the Devil.
Originally, the Universal/Blumhouse horror movie was supposed to open on Friday, October 13, however, the companies decided to bring the horror film to theaters a week earlier after AMC’s “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” concert film was announced for the same day.
Unfortunately, even if the film hit theaters on Friday the 13th, it still would have been a disappointment.
Spoilers Ahead!
‘Exorcist: Believer’ Leaves Audiences Confused
Universal/Blumhouse
The film follows single father Victor Fielding (Leslie Odom Jr. and his 13-year-old daughter, Angela (Lidya Jewett), who goes missing alongside her friend Katherine (Olivia O’Neill), after they went into the woods in an attempt to reach Angela’s dead mother.
Disoriented, but seemingly unharmed, the girls were found in a bar three days later, but the girls’ behavior is what has Victor, and Katherine’s parents, played by Jennifer Nettles and Norbert Leo Butz, worried. Though Victor is not religious, Katherine’s family is and believe the girls went to Hell and have become possessed by the Devil.
This is soon followed by a chain of events, including Angela having an obsession with turning bathroom lights on and off, that forces the family to face the evil within Angela and Katherine.
Victor, who has come to desperation, decides to get help from Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn).
The film, as a whole, fell short. Not only did the script and plot line have several holes throughout, leaving audiences confused, portions of the horror movie also felt dragged out, and should have just been dragged to hell.
‘Exorcist: Believer’ Drags Out And Should Be Dragged To Hell
Universal/Blumhouse
Despite the $400 million invested into this film, “Exorcist: Believer” dragged out and should have been dragged to hell.
Going in, the production team knew they had high standards as they attempted to recreate such a successful first movie 50 years later, but it is even more disappointing that they did not even come close to exceeding those expectations, let alone meeting those expectations.
There were many pointless scenes, including Victor hitting a punchbag in a boxing gym (just because 50 years earlier there was a boxing scene does not mean we needed one again).
Overall, “Exorcist: Believer” just fell short and left audiences disappointed.
The One Saving Grace Of ‘Exorcist: Believer’
Universal/Blumhouse
The saving grace of the film has to be Lidya Jewett and Olivia O’Neill, who delivered absolute stellar performances as Angela and Katherine. The two young actresses played the roles of 13-year-olds being possessed by demons as if they have had years of experience in the acting world. Both girls had monumental roles and they certainly delivered. There were quite a few times where the girls made me jump, which a film has not done for me in quite some time.
Leslie Odom Jr., who is known for his time in the hit Broadway show, “Hamilton” did his best to deliver his character, but considering he did not have much to work with, due to the subpar plot and script, his acting came up unmemorable.