Soulless! The Exorcist: Believer (2023) || Movie Review

'The Exorcist of 1973' messed me up mentally for a few days when I watched it back then. I couldn't really take my bath without my eyes wide open. Also, within those few days I hated putting off the lights of the whole house at night. It was my duty and I had no choice. How would I explain to my parents that I am imagining things from a horror film which I watched which was forbidden in my family and I didn't do my job.

When I turn off the lights, I usually feel that the horrors of the movie were literally behind me chasing the hell out of me. I would run like the flash and aim for my bedroom which I saw as my safe haven. Thinking about it right now is cracking me up. How powerful is the mind, eh?

'The Exorcist (1973)'is one of the best movies that came out in the 70's and it honestly deserves better than slowly descending down the top most rated movies in the world over the years. I don't know about you but that's how I feel about this movie. Nowadays, people are getting bored with this franchise and they want David Gordon to take a chill pill. People are not impressed anymore and classic horror films are being milked for money as the original stories are being destroyed.

'The Exorcist: Believer (2023)' is a supernatural horror film. It is also the sixth installment in the Exorcist franchise. It was directed by David Gordon who also wrote the screenplay with Peter Sattler. The storyline centers around two young girls who disappeared into the woods for some silly reason best known to them and didn't return home after three days with no memory of where they had been. It starred Ellen Burstyn and Linda Blair reprising their roles from previous installments in the franchise. It also starred Leslie Odom Jr. Lidya Jewett, Olivia O’Neill, Danny McCarthy, Ann Dowd and Jennifer Nettles.

Plot.

A photographer Victor Fielding with his pregnant wife were in Haiti on vacation. As they both were exploring Haiti, his wife went to a voodoo priestess where she was blessed with protection rites. Later, Victor's wife went back to their hotel room to rest while her husband was out taking more pictures and exploring. A few minutes later, an earthquake started unexpectedly. As Victor was running towards the hotel to save his wife, he found crushed under some heavy build materials. So Victor had to choose who to save, the baby or the mother.

So thirteen years later, Victor has lost his faith in God while raising his daughter Angela alone in Georgia after the death of his wife. It was just him and Angela against the world but still Angela wanted to have closure with her mother to know who she is since it was only her picture she had seen.

However, one fateful day, Angela and her best friend Katherine went into the woods to perform a ritual which will enable Angela to communicate with her mother's spirit. Curiosity kills the cat always. As they went into the woods they didn't return home for three days. When they returned home, they had no memory of what they had been doing and where they had been.

After the two girls were discharged from the hospital they began to display some strange, mysterious and supernatural behaviors. Victor began to seek a solution for his daughter's predicament while Katherine's parents chose the Christian way. How will the two girls be saved? Will they all come out of this situation sane?

My Review And Rating.

When I saw the trailer of this movie I was anxious to see this movie but in the end, I was highly disappointed. I don't think I will be watching another installment in this franchise because I don't want my classic memory and experience of this franchise to be destroyed by watered down quality and characters performances.

The plot of this movie was ridiculous for me, it lacked originality, it was not convincing, it was not engaging and it made no sense to me at all. There are a lot of missing potholes that would have solidified the story arc of this movie. David Gordon gave us the worst of The Exorcist. It was painful for me because it was a long awaited sequel.

Also in the plot, the demon that was responsible for the possession was not talked about or mentioned. At one point, I was wondering which demon or entity possessed the two young girls. The possession act was not captured well. It lame, generic and there is nothing scary about it. Let me say it lacks the spark the horror fans look for in a horror film.

The ending part was not well done. There was no resolution. Loose ends were not tied. It was not convincing nor was it realistic. There were no jump scares for me, it was like watching a thriller not horror. If you think you can compare this sequel with the 1973 sequel, you will be totally disappointed.

The only thing I appreciate about this movie is visual and cinematography. It was well done which made the movie a little more appealing to watch. Also, the performance of the girls. They portrayed the possession well.

Rating this movie, I will give it 4.5 out of 10 stars. I didn't enjoy this movie. I thought I was going to be impressed but I was disappointed instead. But still, watch the movie if you haven't. Your experience might be different from mine.