The original The Exorcist was awarded an 'X' certificate in 1973 on account of its shocking content and graphic imagery, which had audiences reeling in horror. David Gordon Green's The Exorcist: Believer is a 15 certificate on account of its tepid scares which will have viewers questioning their life choices.
Having given us three of the worst Halloween movies, Green now takes a dump on another much-loved horror franchise, proving once and for all that he has zero understanding of the genre. The first half of Believer will have you thinking that you've somehow seated yourself in front of the wrong cinema screen: it feels nothing like a horror film, focusing on the hunt for two teenage girls who go missing while walking through some woods.
The second half is where the possession stuff starts to happen and is so bad that it will have you wishing that you HAD seated yourself in front of the wrong cinema screen. All the expected tropes are present, but executed in a predictable, lifeless and inoffensive fashion. Ellen Burstyn's supposedly poignant monologue about joining forces to beat the devil, delivered shortly after her character has had both eyes poked out, is particularly cringe-worthy.
Green saves the worst for last, the long awaited exorcism ritual carried out by the local Neighbourhood Possession Watch, the only real priest on hand being no help whatsoever. In the end, the devil gives those present the chance to choose which girl lives and which girl dies-and I still can't believe that they took the route they did...
2/10. Not as execrable as Halloween Kills or Halloween Ends, but it's close.
Having given us three of the worst Halloween movies, Green now takes a dump on another much-loved horror franchise, proving once and for all that he has zero understanding of the genre. The first half of Believer will have you thinking that you've somehow seated yourself in front of the wrong cinema screen: it feels nothing like a horror film, focusing on the hunt for two teenage girls who go missing while walking through some woods.
The second half is where the possession stuff starts to happen and is so bad that it will have you wishing that you HAD seated yourself in front of the wrong cinema screen. All the expected tropes are present, but executed in a predictable, lifeless and inoffensive fashion. Ellen Burstyn's supposedly poignant monologue about joining forces to beat the devil, delivered shortly after her character has had both eyes poked out, is particularly cringe-worthy.
Green saves the worst for last, the long awaited exorcism ritual carried out by the local Neighbourhood Possession Watch, the only real priest on hand being no help whatsoever. In the end, the devil gives those present the chance to choose which girl lives and which girl dies-and I still can't believe that they took the route they did...
2/10. Not as execrable as Halloween Kills or Halloween Ends, but it's close.