THE EXORCIST: BELIEVER (2023) ** ½

David Gordon Green resurrected the Halloween franchise with mixed results.  This time, he works his mediocre magic on The Exorcist series.  It’s better than any of his Haddonfield efforts, but unlike the marginally bold Halloween Ends, he plays it safe this time out.  Maybe a bit too safe.

Leslie Odom Jr. stars as a single father whose daughter disappears in the woods along with a friend.  The kids return three days with no memory of what occurred there.  Soon, they begin exhibiting strange behavior and before long, the concerned parents face the possibility their kids are possessed.  Odom then seeks out Ellen Burstyn, who knows a thing or two about having a possessed kid, for help.

Green seems to be following The Force Awakens playbook note for note.  The first act is the best as it explores new characters who are following in the footsteps of their predecessors.  It’s just fresh enough to justify the film’s existence while still familiar enough not to alienate fans.  Then, once we bring in the legacy characters, things get a little shaky.  

While it’s fun seeing Burstyn again (and at ninety, she still looks great and is full of piss and vinegar), the second act is easily the weakest as Green feels like he’s rushing through things to get to the exorcism. Which is weird, since the first act follows William Friedkin’s slow burn template rather successfully.  It’s almost like they didn’t know if Burstyn was going to agree to do the movie until the last minute, so they just came up with a quick way to shoehorn (and then sideline) her in there.  From there, it plays more like a checklist of things you’d want to see in an Exorcist movie than an actual movie.  (The pea soup is noticeably absent though.)  However, the finale works just well enough to keep you invested.  The “it takes a village” approach to the exorcism (priests, witch doctors, friends, and neighbors all chip in to bring the devil down) is novel, although it admittedly lacks the power of the good old-fashioned fire and brimstone exorcisms of yore.

For everything the movie does right, there’s something that it fumbles and/or doesn’t fully explore.  As checkered as the Exorcist sequels are, it’s equally relieving and frustrating to have one that’s plays it this safe.  I mean, Part 2 is a piece of shit, but at least it’s bonkers.  

Green even rips off The Force Awakens’ final scene.  This bit feels equal measure fan service and a tease for another sequel.  If that’s the case, I guess I’ll be there opening night to see it.  I just hope Green and Co. have more up their sleeve next time.