THE EXORCIST: BELIEVER Movie Review | Ellen Burstyn | David Gordon Green 

I was so upset with this film to the point where I was staring at the end credits in disbelief. I didn’t expect much, but at the same time I expected more than this. I can’t stand what they end up doing with Chris MacNeil. She deserves better.

I recently saw Friedkin's Exorcist here in Italy in a movie theatre, fully restored and in english. First of all, what a masterclass in film-making by Friedkin and such amazing acting performances. Secondly, it works so well because it is a good drama first and foremost, of a mother unable to help/saver her daughter and a priest having a crisis of faith. Slowly but surely it ramps up to brutal and shocking horror sequences. From skeptics we all become somewhat 'believers' by the end of the film. I just can't see anyone replicating that magic again. Do something new.

I don't why the producers agree to let David Gordon green and danny Mcbride do another horror franchise after seeing how well received the last Halloween movie was box critics and box office wise

I’m happy for Ellen Burstyn’s big paycheck and the scholarship she got them to set up for the Pace University grad program.

William Friedkin before he passed away say "My signature film is about to be extended by the man who made Pineapple Express. I don't want to be around when that happens"

I highly suggest u guys watch Mark Kermode's review of this film. It's hilarious because he's considered the most well known expert on THE EXORCIST. He's written books and created BBC documentaries on the film. He says about the creators of BELIEVER: "These people watched the Exorcist but they didn't understand it." When his co-host, Simon Mayo, asks him if there is one positive aspect to the film he replies, "Yes, it ended."

The Exorcist 3 is considered a good movie as well as the first movie but not the 2nd movie The Heretic & the other movies. The Exorcist 3 also has a jump scare that’s become iconic.

Happy to see Lamar Odom Jr. in more projects. He’s such an underrated actor and a fantastic singer.

The Exorcist is one of the rare films I’ve seen that just gets better and better the more I see it. After hearing Mark Kermode’s HILARIOUS review of this sequel, I removed it from my Letterboxd watchlist. Whatever happened to the David Gordon Green from All the Real Girls?

What they did reminded with Chris MacNeil reminded me of the cameo of Ray Stantz in 'Casper' - "Who you gonna call? Someone else!"

I loved that Christy used the word "Exorcii"...

The scene with Ellen Burstyn (which is "the moment" I'm assuming is being referenced) is so unintentionally hilarious and unfair to her character its jaw dropping.

10 years ago I'd gone to see The Children's Hour on the West End, and we ran into Ellen Burstyn outside the stage door after we'd had autographs with Keira Knightley and Elisabeth Moss. Ms Burstyn saw us looking for a passerby to click a group photo, so she stopped on her way and asked, "Shall I take it for you?" We were astonished to see her stop for us. She took the photo and agreed to a selfie as well! For an actress of her calibre and reputation she was totally polite and unassuming. Wonderful memories

My daughter is 13... so I'm hopefully we made it past the demon-possession stage. You nailed it about what made THE EXORCIST great. The slow, but fascinating build up. The mystery and drama. The writing and acting. I have no desire to see this one. By the way... When I'm watching my Niners beat your Crack Wagon this weekend, Christy, I'll enjoy one of those I'll enjoy one of those Dark & Gourdy non-athletic lagers! Cheers!!

I do find it interesting that the only good films in this franchise all involved William Peter Blatty, the first and the third.

I’m think we’ve crossed a threshold where viewer sensibilities and savvy has outpaced Hollywood’s writing. Now there are plenty of independent or Hollywood-adjacent horror movies that are well written, but when your script has to be group-“thunk”, everything gets watered-down and tropified to within an inch of its life! And for god’s sake, can we get more than one trailer editing/sound design outfit working on horror movies?!!??! Every horror trailer looks and sounds the same!!! Two of last two great horror franchise efforts were ‘IT’ and ‘Evil Dead Rise’. How is it that some directors can’t see what makes these franchises great?!??

DGG got a lot of positive reviews for his first Halloween film, which in retrospect is baffling to me. I kinda liked it the first time I saw it, but then I tried re-watching it and I was like, “What was I thinking? This is NOT good.” And the less said about the sequels, the better.

I didn’t find it terrible, but I also went in not expecting it to follow the format of its predecessor. DGG just can’t help but try reinventing classics. In my opinion, it would’ve been an alright possession film if it wasn’t associated with the Exorcist. Since this is part of a trilogy, I guess we’ll see if this movie was more of a build up for the second one.

The power of the great Ann Dowd and Ellen Burystn compels you!

Great review Thank you - I do wish you guys would consider doing more spoiler reviews - thanks again

William Friedkin: “(When I Die) I Plan to Possess David Gordon Green and Make His Life Hell”

I feel like the weight of the next film The Exorcist: Deceiver, is on the shoulders of Linda Blair, who was reluctant to even make a cameo in The Exorcist: Believer. I think that given the disastrous reception of Believer, that Linda Blair will be all the more reluctant to play a bigger part in Deceiver.

As someone who recently penned a supernaturally-themed novel (still looking for its home!), it amazes me how not understanding the basics of a genre seems to be a literal virtue in 2023. Modern actors deserve decent scripts, and ideas. Not steaming piles of corporate hor$e$hit that fail to understand even the basics of what actually made the success they are trying to cash in on in the first place.

After seeing the movie, I didn't find it as scary as I did having empathy for the loss of family and friendship and the strength of people of different religions joining forces without prejudice. This film did reminisce about what demons do well from the first film. They are tricksters and liars, even at the cost of choosing between a human life. This film also brought a somber ending like the first film, but with a surprise I wasn't expecting because I wanted to see the movie without digging around post-reviews.

I haven't seen it but I can guess what they didn't like considering they say that Ellen Burstyn isn't given much to do. Like what they did with Bryan Cranston in that Godzilla movie.

Yeh I saw this last night and I was laughing more than I was being scared. I thought maybe I’ve just aged out of these but glad to hear others aren’t finding this good too

This movie lost me as soon as it started. It fundamentally misunderstand what made the original The Exorcist so special, and they made the most generic crap out of it. It’s the worst movie of the year for me, easily. I thought 3 times about walking out of the theater.

I have a weird affection for Excorcist 2. I know Alonso always likes to say there are no guilty pleasures, but he's wrong in this case.

Bill And Ted's Exorcist Adventure

2.5/5 It’s an annoying mixed bag. You have moments in here that work. The first act itself was good. It built character for Leslie Odom Jr & Lydia Jewett. But that’s the only family that really has any character building. The performances overall are solid (both Lydia Jewett & Olivia O’Neill deliver solid horror performances and it’s Olivia’s first credit btw), it looks good, the production value is there. But it’s filled with so many moments where i was thinking “you don’t need this” or “why is that here”. Ellen Burstyn wouldn’t have even needed to be in this for the narrative to keep going. She has a line of dialogue that almost immediately just gives a giant “FUCK YOU” to the third act of the original 🎥. There was only one jump scare that got me. You could’ve easily had it just be Leslie Odom Jr & his daughter (in act 3 you find out a detail that easily could’ve been the emotional backbone for the overall narrative). The other family doesn’t add anything to the story at all and doesn’t move it along. The exorcism itself has only really one cool scene in it but it’s just “ehh”. Universal spent $400 million to get the rights and I wouldn’t be surprised if Donna Langley (head of Universal for those who don’t know) called David Gordon Green, Danny McBride & Jason Blum going “WHAT DID YOU GUYS DOOOOO?!!!”. It’s the same creative team of the recent Halloween trilogy (which started off strong but with each film it steeped less in less in quality). David Gordon Green I feel you can sum up as a director in 3 🎥s: “Pineapple Express”, “Joe” and “Stronger”. If I had to pick a fourth 🎥 I’d say his first “Halloween”. Admittedly I haven’t seen a lot of his early work but his early work is loved by many critics. His work in the horror genre each time has them wishing he’d go back to those roots. But the next step is gonna be: “what’s gonna happen with deceiver”? Because that’s set for 2025. Will they make it? They kinda have to. The third? I don’t know. I just hope after this David Gordon Green and his crew go back to stuff that was working. And I don’t mean that as an insult but it’s just frustrating because he makes great 🎥s. His last two 🎥s weren’t that great. A part of me wants to say 3 but at least “Halloween Kills” DELIVERS ON THE TITLE. I won’t say much about Linda Blair but I’ll just say similar to Ellen Burstyn, didn’t need her.

Serious comment, this time. Not a big horror fan, but I appreciate the quality ones. These movies and their subsequent remakes, sequels, prequels and reboots will never have the same effect. Yes, there is a teenager just hitting 18 that hasn't seen the 20 to 50 year old original movie of whatever is the newest incarnation. So, the Exorcist, Star Wars, Planet of the Apes, Of Mice And Men, Flipper, Far Out Spacenuts or whatever "franchise", will impress them. It gets updated with 'modern" ( I say post modern) effects and dialogue. But, it's a Xerox of a Xerox of a Xerox. America was very different in the 1960s and 1970s. It was essentially our angsty adolescence. Things were changing and fast. People were losing faith in God, in our Government, in lots of things. Short hair became long hair on men. Long skirts became shortskirts. Hippies and beatniks and other strange, alien humans were emerging. The cities were starting to become more violent. Race riots, protests, marches, assassinations. We were losing a war in southeast Asia while the spectre of nuclear annihilation loomed. The president was murdered. We were only 30 years away from the Holocaust and another 30 years away from The Year 2000. Traditionalism, patriotism, godliness, community, hard work, dare I say benevolent "patriarchy" was the Norm, but eroding at the edges. Movies had always been censored by a moral majority determined to keep children and impressionable adults untouched by depravity and Unamerican ideals. So. When a movie Like Psycho or Night of the Living Dead or Last Tango In Paris or Deepthroat or The Exorcist came along, they were deeply upsetting and scandalous. They also mirrored the growing tension, uneasiness, increasingly looser social mores about sexuality, gender roles, racial segregation. What I'm saying is the Shock Value was stronger like going from room temperature to ice water being poured over your head. But, we have 40-50 years now of extremely violent movies, resulting in franchises (as if they're a restaurant operation). Video games went from digital squares to first person shooters where you can mutilate well drawn human beings yourself. And the last few decades have inundated us with sex scandals, terrorism, mass shooters, unspeakable crime. This, in a culture of drug usage, broken homes, a doomed marriage rate, and less belief in a higher power than any time in human history. No one can watch a movie about a little girl being possessed by the devil and doing and saying unspeakable things with true horror and revulsion, now. It's a thrill, like roller coasters or bungee jumping. We have no empathy anymore. We are used to blood and gore and insanity in our movies, entertainment and even in our everyday news and families. This was never going to be a moving film, even if it was well made. That era is over. We are numbed.

Go watch Exorcist 3 instead. The studio ending works fine & gives George C. Scott one of his best monologues. That movie is ridiculously scary.

I just saw it Friday evening. And wow, what a bore. The main lead's performance is pretty good, but I had to control myself from laughing at the two girls' evil schtick. As for the old lady, from the previous installments, based on her showing in this movie, I don't know how she had managed to survive her previous encounters.

Ellen Burstyn was NOT in Exorcist 2. It was Louise Fletcher.

You guys HAVE to watch "When Evil Lurks" its out in select theatres at the moment. Its an Actual, Original horror movie (very rare!) with a great story line, plot, and characters. It knows no boundaries and actually has great twists and turns that i promise you wont see coming. Its a very refreshing movie to see amongst all of these re-makes and sequels. Really recommend watching this film! Would love to see your opinions on it

I saw it today (the Lord's Day). I thought the first half was solid when it's a missing person's movie, but the part Christy is alluding to and what happens to other characters was just mean. I know it's the devil, but it was just mean, and the rest of the plot doesn't earn it. It was shot here in Savannah, where I live, so that's cool ......

I am not planning on seeing this but I will be watching my dvd copy of the original movie with a nice bag of pop corn.

One thing about the great directors, they make different kinds of films. They may make a horror film, but they also make dramas, westerns, love stories, comedies. If you only make one genre as a director, likely you are a hack. Btw, I like this cute lady.

It doesn’t have to be like the first one. I think it was great.

I’m splitting hairs with this one… I really liked the performances, make up effects, setting, cinematography. The scene you’re talking about… I’m with you. I think universal pictures knew they were making a crappy, shitty movie. They admirably succeeded in that regard. The last act was crazy…very disturbing. I give it a. 5.8. A slight recommend… perhaps

In loving memory.. Wiliam friedkin Rembrandt van riyn Magica lanterna in Holly darkness cinema Exorcist 1973 Only original Not dir cut 2000 All 12 minute.. Garbage Best in Solar system Georgetown All colours autumn Tubular bels Intermezzo Forewer in may heart Gordon green... Epitaph.. King crimson Adore yours rewiews Greetings from Croatia

Not for me, but thank you. Just picked up my 4K EXORCIST

Whoever runs that hospital in Georgia needs to be sacked. They were just allowed to take their daughters even though they were in no fit state to leave! Is it normal hospital policy to take seriously damaged young people home to try an exorcism and see what happens? The more I think about this film, the more I hate it

Guys are you going to review When Evil Lurks? It is in theaters right now and some horror fans are saying it is the best horror if the year

That was a weird transition to the ad break

The guys from "What the Flick"

David gordon green D i s a s t e r In loving memory Eternal glory Mr William friedkin Rembrandt van rijn Magica lanterna in holly darkness cinema Greetings from Croatia

I'm here for the $400 million BOMBA.

The original can never be surpassed. It would have to be so shocking for this day and age. We've seen some shit with ISIS and the cartels. Needs to be something new and original to really scare us.

was saw x not screened for film critics?

Burstyn is an acting icon and Freidken just passed. This film just seems disrespectful if it is not epic.

Exorcists... ASSEMBLE!

While I didn't hate the D Gordon-Green Halloween trilogy as much as most when you have such absolute classics like Halloween and The Excorcist you better off trying for something else. DGGreen is so much better with Danny McBride and the dark comedies.

Those girls look like the goblins from Labyrinth.

You should review Saw X! It's actually good...

Essentially David Gordon Green watched Prisoners and the 2012 Mexican film "Here Comes The Devil" and watched The Exorcist TV Show, and decided to steal the story from all three. He stole the "Missing Kids" section from Prisoners, ... then the "Two girls go missing for three days and return where they are both possessed by the same Demon" section from "Here Comes The Devil", ... and lifted directly the "Chris McNeill writes a book about Reagan, which alienates them from each other and Reagan goes into hiding and changes her name, and they are only reunited after a catastrophic incident" from The Exorcist TV Show. Like it's actually impressive to be that shamelessly creatively bankrupt, like they couldn't come up with an original story?

Wow,really ripped into this movie. Wonder how it will do in the box office.

I watched this last night, and I don't know what to make of it, honestly. I've seen the original and love it to death. Now that I've seen this new one, I'm like, "Hell, might as well stick with the original trilogy, lol. I hear 'The Exorcist III' isn't bad at all ....." 🍿👌🏽😂

I was disappointed. I thought it was The Exorcist: Belieber. I kept waiting for Justin to come out and sing One Less Lonely Girl

I AM SOOO GLAD YOU SAID IT!!! IT'S DAVID GORDON GREEN! TERRIBLE DIRECTOR!!!!!

They're all missing Friedkin

Think I'm just gonna pretend this doesn''t exist.

I'm one of the few who thinks exorcist the beginning was a decent film in this series. oh well haha

Trailer looked terrible. Not surprised that it is. Won't be watching but might check out Excorcist 3

Based on this review I will not be seeing this film

They should have given this to Ari Aster.

Alright, I am not catholic or even religious, but that's so stupid. I don't want to be sexist, but come on they didn't let her into room. I mean after The Heretic how bad could it be,but that's a total cop out.

Is this still PAZUZU is this pazuzu doing this or another demon there’s been some debate.

Gosh darn patriarchy, keeping this abused mother safe from the evil demon abusing her.... Who or what are they making these movies for??

I watched it and it felt like it was trying way too hard to be scary and way too hard to push the Christianity beliefs on you. I think i know the exact point that lost Christy cause it was the same point that lost me. Chris story in the movie was depressing to watch cause it leaves you going like seriously this how you handle the core relationship in this franchise and why we cared about the first one.

While I loved exorcist 73, it is far from scary. It has atmosphere and it's creepy. Pea soup, and interesting uses of crucifixes, turning heads and rising beds don't make you jump out of your seat, it makes you go ewww. Plus like many 70s films it takes its time to really get going.

I would tell people to go watch No One Will Save You instead. Much scarier than this clunker.

"The Patriarchy" killed this movie for me 😂

It felt like they weren't taking it seriously, I still think Nun 2 and Pope's Exorcist are better at doing that this year.

I don't understand the hype for the original at all. I have never found it remotely scary. It is always sold as the scariest thing ever, but I find it kind of hacky and unintentionally hilarious at times. Maybe you had to be there?

I’m seeing this horrible movie on Sunday. Thanks amc a-list! But I knew going in this movie would be awful. But is it okay to like a crappy movie? I’ve seen all of the conjuring movies. I’m only seeing it for Oscar winner Ellen Burstyn and the great Ann Dow’s and the cast, make up, and sets. But that’s it

Loved the exorcist believer went to the theatre, I said to myself I won’t watch it at home so let’s give it a try, oh my I was surprised how good this movie was incredible all the way to the end .

Probably not 😂😂😂

This woman misses the whole point. The mom from the Original Exorcist is like 100 years old! She wasn't brought in to kick the demon's ass. She was the catalyst to bring the other religious faiths together to cast out the demon_ She was meant to inspire. And she did that, she inspired the father to believe again... I thought this was pretty much self explainatory?☝😌

I might see this,but I feel like a sucker

I wish more reviewers would immediately acknowledge that when the original Exorcist came out, there had been nothing like it to date. Friedkin went SO over the top at that time (crucifix scene?) that of course, audiences were horrified and sometimes even traumatized. Since then, speaking of traumatic, we've had filmmakers progressively upping the ante with films like "Antichrist" -- all in an effort to shock and terrify audiences who are more desensitized every year. I totally realize that it's fun and easy (and quotable) to be snarky in reviews, but it would be fair to point out right off the bat that at this point, filmmakers would practically need to go full "Carrie" and dump green puke on audiences from buckets hidden in the theater rafters to provoke a reaction like they got way back in 1973.

Chris MacNeil, once an endearing and nuanced person, is now one of the dumbest characters in horror movie history.

i had a great time watching it.

It was exactly the modern version I was expecting! The casting is utterly awful! The story is pure garbage! It gets stupider, the longer it's on... I hope Ellen Burstyn got a wedge, and is now sat on a beach somewhere, sipping cocktails and giggling!

The Exorcist is not scary to anyone born after 1990 tbh

Why they decided to revamp this into such an unimaginative way is beyond me---oh yeah, that good old franchise $$$. How boring.

I wasn’t impressed with this movie either or the Halloween movies that was done by David Gordon Green.

Recent Russell Crowe movie Pope’s Exorcist was a lot of fun! Anyone else agree??

DGG... I dont even know why they bothered to show the first 15 minutes in Port AU prince when it adds absolutely NOTHING to the plot. The dad could be a widower from the get go. The white girl's parents are like random B-actors and the acting from the mum is terrible. Sooo boring. I hate 3/3 of his back to back movies: HKs, HEs, Eb. Bad.

The film doese address people like you who are unable to connect to the messege of the film because you refuse to see through others eyes. You're making all these stup!d mindless excuses when Exorcist 1973 wasn't just a horror movie. It has meaning behind father Karras faith. That lesson was to address those who can relate. David Gordon green took today's issues in our society . Racial tensions, abortion, the evils in our world and threw them in your face so that you had to deal with them and come up with a choice of reflection apon yourself. The choice that would save the life of one of these girls. The right choice, the right frame of mind by the christian faith. The exorcist was phycological warfare. Something ever more intense when tackeld by the subjects of today. It had more material to work on then just being scary or a horror movie. It gave a messege from the current state in our modern controvercial society. By the way i heard you say you were shown the exorcist as a kid ?? Whatever parent doese that to their kid is horrible person. You can scar and cause trauma for life. It's rated R for a reason. Parents do your due diligence.

Everyone do themselves a favor and check out Saw X this weekend instead of this garbage

Also, ellen burstyn yelling at possessed girl and *spoilers* getting her eyes stabbed out. Honey, what are you doing? This movie is sooo bad

Vapid Insipid Disjointed Mess Drags the Iconic Original through the mud They Shoehorn Ellen Burstyn in for cheap nostalgia

I’m gonna keep saying this, because it’s TRUE. Horror movies ever since the pandemic LOCKDOWN, with a very few exceptions (THE WITCH, NO ONE CAN SAVE YOU) have been complete and utter 💩. And no one can explain why. Seriously, try naming some good horror, and they’ll most likely be 2020 or before. The last GREAT one, was 2020’s “THE INVISIBLE MAN.”

This film is the stinker of stinkers.

I'm so done with lame 'reboot, rehash, must be a franchise' dribble. Make something original please, Hollywood. I know AI would...

3/10... Horrible

Yes...the mother of a girl possessed 50 years ago, would have been concocting and coming up with ideas on what she should have done and how to take the Demon out if she ever ran into it again...lmao! She's not like Jamie Lee Curtis, this is a more realistic take on what people would actually do. The 2 of you watched ot with higher hopes than anyone could've matched. It was great to see her back, but what did you expect? A woman who has become the most powerful exorcist in the world?...lol. That's what you sound like.

When bad things happen you become an atheist..how original 🙄

There's no need for a 9+ minute review of this trash, guys. If you didn't see this coming after the 1st trailer, well, that's where the problem begins. I can see young people getting excited over this blasphemous garbage, simply cos they don't know better and all they're used to are silly jump scares and Blumhouse sewage, but you two are Gen Xers like myself. You can't possibly expect me to believe that you had high hopes for it. DGG should leave horror behind and go back to comedy. I actually like his work there.