This fall marks the 50th anniversary of one of the most horrifying films in cinematic history, The Exorcist. Back in 1973, the horror film shocked audiences worldwide and left an indelible mark on the horror genre.
Now, on Friday, October 6, a new chapter in the saga unfolds with The Exorcist: Believer, brought to you by Blumhouse and director David Gordon Green, known for revitalizing the Halloween franchise.
Set in a chilling narrative, the film introduces Victor Fielding, portrayed by Tony winner and Oscar nominee Leslie Odom, Jr. (known for One Night in Miami and Hamilton). Victor has been raising his daughter Angela, played by Lidya Jewett of Good Girls, since the tragic death of his pregnant wife in a Haitian earthquake 12 years ago.
The story takes a spine-tingling turn when Angela and her friend Katherine, portrayed by newcomer Olivia O’Neill, inexplicably vanish in the woods for three days, only to return with no recollection of their ordeal. This eerie incident sets in motion a series of events that compel Victor to confront unspeakable evil. In his desperation, he seeks out the only living person who has witnessed anything like it before: Chris MacNeil. Watch the trailer below:
REELated:
For the first time since the original 1973 film, Oscar winner Ellen Burstyn reprises her iconic role as Chris MacNeil, an actress whose life has been forever scarred by the events that occurred to her daughter Regan five decades ago.
The film also boasts a stellar cast, including Emmy winner Ann Dowd (The Handmaid’s Tale and Hereditary) as Victor and Angela’s neighbor, and Grammy winner Jennifer Nettles (Harriet and The Righteous Gemstones) and two-time Tony winner Norbert Leo Butz (“Fosse/Verdon” and “Bloodline”) as Katherine’s parents.
When The Exorcist initially hit theaters, it left an indelible mark on pop culture, smashing box office records and earning an impressive 10 Academy Award® nominations. It became the first horror film ever nominated for Best Picture.
So what do we really think of the new trailer? Not much. The Exorcist, from its opening to credits to its shocking ending, held us captive with an atmosphere of dread which turned into terror. We witnessed acts on film that we had never seen before. This new sequel directed by David Gordon Green, feels lame if I’m really honest. Maybe it’s a victim of modern-day trailer editing where we see the entire story unfold in two minutes. Or maybe it is just that bad.
But after getting off to a great start with his Halloween reboot in 2018, we were thanked with a mediocre sequel Halloween Kills and an absolutely terrible sequel, Halloween Ends, we are not convinced Green can scare us.
The Exorcist: Believer is directed by David Gordon Green, with a screenplay by Peter Sattler and David Gordon Green, based on a story by Scott Teems, Danny McBride, and David Gordon Green. The film is a Blumhouse and Morgan Creek Entertainment production, produced by Jason Blum, David Robinson, and James G. Robinson. Executive producers include Danny McBride, David Gordon Green, Stephanie Allain, Ryan Turek, and Atilla Yücer.
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The Geek is a working screenwriter, director and screenwriting instructor.
