The Exorcist: Believer

If it were a stand-alone film about demonic possession, most viewers would wave their hands at it as a grey sub-par film unworthy of any attention. But as an attempted sequel to one of cinema's most iconic works, which many have also called the scariest horror film of all time, it's an utterly pathetic and undignified piece of rubbish that elicits nothing but laughter instead of terror, and mangles the original characters (Ellen Burstyn takes a nasty scriptwriting hit here). Moreover, the fact that, for commercial reasons, they named the film The Exorcist:… , even though this time there is no exorcist is in itself telling. I hope this debacle finally demolishes the myth that David Gordon Green is a gifted horror filmmaker. He's not. (10/25/2023)

How big a jerk do you have to be to bring poor 90 year old Ellen Burstyn into a Legacy sequel and do THIS to her character in the script? I swear to god that was an even crappier handling of the original character than the last Texas Massacre with Sally. David Gordon Green is probably the most hated filmmaker within the horror genre right now, and rightfully so. He doesn't just kill off famous franchises, he kills them off in a horribly annoying way. Two stars for craftsmanship, for all the righteous hate, Believer holds up to the basic standard of cinema, but otherwise it's woeful. A piss sterile bore, even that fifty year old film had bolder scenes than this one! (10/24/2023)

It's not fair to compare it to the original film, which it's arguably the best horror film I've ever seen, but unfortunately they are literally asking for it, and so one must conclude that The Exorcist: Believer is nothing but mediocre. Perhaps it can appeal someone who doesn’t know the original, but as far as sequels to The Exorcist go, not only is the third one with George C. Scott better, but also the Harlin prequel, which I really like. (10/20/2023)