Last night, I finally carved out some time to catch the 2023 horror flick, “The Exorcist: Believer.” I was pretty stoked, especially considering I’d been hyped up ever since catching the trailer last year. I had my hopes high for a thrilling cinematic experience. But, unfortunately, it left me disappointed.

“The Exorcist: Believer” was directed by David Gordon Green and produced by Blumhouse Productions. It’s the sixth movie in The Exorcist series, picking up where the 1973 classic left off.

The Exorcist: Believer

Victor and his pregnant wife, Sorenne, are honeymooning in Haiti when an earthquake hits. Sorenne gets seriously hurt, and Victor is left a widower with their daughter, Angela. Thirteen years later, Angela and her buddy Katherine head into the woods for a séance to connect with Angela’s mom. Long story short, they get lost, open a portal to evil, and come back soulless. Now, it’s up to their parents and Chris MacNeil to rescue them from a grim fate.

Now, about the movie. “The Exorcist: Believer” doesn’t exactly break new ground in the horror scene. It sticks to the same formula as others in the genre. The main problem? It’s trying to live up to the reputation of the original “Exorcist” as the greatest horror flick ever. As a sequel, it’s caught in the middle—somewhere between continuing the story and introducing fresh material. The pacing is a bit off too, starting slow, speeding up, and ending abruptly with more questions than answers.

I was pumped about Ellen Burstyn’s return, but when the dust settled, opinions shifted. Burstyn’s comeback feels more like a brief appearance than the jaw-dropping return I hoped for. The rest of the cast doesn’t really stand out, except for Lidya Jewett as Angela and Olivia O’Neill as Katherine. They manage to nail the roles of girls possessed by a nasty demon, even if the transition feels rushed. Their standout performances are backed up by some solid special effects makeup work.

In the end, “The Exorcist: Believer” doesn’t quite live up to the hype. Some say it might have fared better on streaming services. With a sequel in the pipeline, we’re crossing our fingers that they learn from their mistakes and give us a modern supernatural horror gem down the line.

Have you seen “The Exorcist: Believer” yet? What’s your take on the movie?