Warning: This article may contain spoilers for The Exorcist: Believer
The Exorcist: Believer arrived in cinemas this weekend, and has become another franchise expanding sequel that has not quite lived up to expectation – either in its reviews or its box office result. However, it seems that the Blumhouse revival of the franchise has proved to be a cautionary tale for the original 1973 movie. Despite being released 50 years ago, and being considered one of the greatest horror movies of all time,The Exorcisthas seen its Rotten Tomatoes approval rating take a dive as the site added 70 new reviews to the film, including some “archival” entires that have previously not been available on the site.
David Gordon Green’sExorcistmovie has beenstruggling to make a connectionwith critics and audiences despite linking directly to the original movie with appearances by Ellen Burstyn andLinda Blair, reprising their roles as Chris and Regan MacNeil respectively.The Exorcist: Believerhas only managed to gain a 26% approval rating from critics since its release, and has fares only a little better with audiences.
In contrast,The Exorcist had previously held a very satisfactory 84% rating on the site until the newest updates. According toRotten Tomatoes:
“We spun our heads ’round and ’round adding over 70 reviews for William Friedkin’s 1973 original. Using archival tools and sites, many of the reviews are contemporaneous to when Exorcist first debuted, with the rest from during the late-’90s re-release. (Richard Roeper also filed a review at the Chicago Sun-Times with reference to Exorcist’s 4K restoration.) Overall, The Exorcist‘s new score in 78%, dropping from 84%.”
Related:The Exorcist: How William Friedkin Created a Cultural Phenomenon That Changed Horror
The Exorcist: Believer Shows Why The Exorcist was an Exceptional Movie.
Movies that have been deemed classics usually gain the title for being unique, cleverly crafted and often very subtle in their delivery.The Exorcistis a perfect example of this. The story is shocking in its subject matter, and for the time it was made, the make-up and practice effects used to create the possession of Regan are still effective now when compared to some contemporary counterparts.
The film is mostly set in one location: the bedroom of Regan. This in itself is something that elevated the movie’s claustrophobic atmosphere of entrapment, turning the story into one that is focussed on four main characters who carry the movie for 70% of the story. Very similar to Ridley Scott’sAlienor even the originalTeminator, The Exorcistbecame the success it did for doing a lot with very little.
When it comes to modern remakes, revivals or sequels, there is a tendency to overthink the need to create something bigger, louder and more shocking to improve on what came before. As has been seen inThe Exorcist: Believer,the flashy production, elaborate set pieces and signposted jump scares don’t necessarily make a good movie. Instead of focussing on the things that madeThe Exorcist such an iconic piece of cinema history, Green’s movie had ended up being a generic Blumhouse offering for many of those who have witnessed it for themselves.
If you’re a fan of the original film, check out our brief video essay on whyThe Exorcistwas such a cultural phenomenon:
