The Exorcist Believer: A Monumental Failure

[@michaelsinger4638]

I REALLY hate this trend in modern legacy sequels of bringing back iconic beloved characters, just to tell us how old and sad they are and how much their lives such now. Enough of this Hollywood.

[@Chelaxim]

Well Laurie Strode has a history with this in H20 and even Rob Zombie's Halloween 2. The issue with Halloween 2018 because it only follows the original why EVERYONE in Haddonfield is still obsessed with Michael Myers. If you go to Wichita Kansas I'm sure most people have moved on from BTK who took the lives of more than a handful of people on mire than a single night.

[@HumanBeanbag]

Ellen Burstyn is a great actress but this movie was bad.

[@maddymooo]

​​@@Chelaxim Wichitan here. I will say, BTK is a dark footnote on our city. He's someone people won't forget, but don't really talk about. It's to the point that non native Wichitans might not even know about him. Since Radar gets off on attention, this is definitely for the best.

[@paulfrei1486]

About to happen to Ghostbusters again..

[@TheCollapse410]

​@@HumanBeanbagImagine being a man who goes to a house with a very good friend and both of u not only should the mother from the evil and even give ur lives to save her child and what she takes away from it is ur sexist and part of the patriarchy. Wild.

[@jwnj9716]

Pazuzu dies tonight! Exorcist 3 will always be the true sequel. Blatty's Ninth Configuration is great as well.

[@ASSLEVANIA]

Ninth Configuration AND Exorcist 3 are absolutely incredible and very quotable films. For real, go check em out. They are legitimately fantastic, thought-provoking and genuinely creepy despite their flaws.

[@Haplo699g]

Legion is great up to the end. That hospital hallway scene is absolutely masterful.

[@dannyboidee]

Exorcist 3 will forever be leagues above this or any other sequel that will come out based on the Exorcist. Hell id say it surpassed most exorcism films

[@DontStopCornPop]

I hate to be the dissenter but I thought Exorcist 3 was really boring except for Brad Dourif. I thought that George Scott was not right for the part of Kinderman and didn't have the charm that character had in the book or the first movie. And for the Ninth Configuration, that's another movie I found to be really slow and boring, aside from the space walk sequence and the bar fight at the end. They are thought provoking movies and explore interesting concepts but they're not particularly entertaining. Glad I watched them but I probably won't be watching them again anytime soon.

[@JasonHauser125]

If DGG had his way in the Believer sequel, townsfolk would kick the SHIT out of Pazuzu, then Pazuzu would stand up and possess them one by one until they're all dead.

[@deadpoolguy283]

"William Friedkin once said to me, 'Ed, the guy who made those new Halloween sequels is about to make one to my movie, the Exorcist. That's right, my signature film is about to be extended by the man who made Pineapple Express. I don't want to be around when that happens. But if there's a spirit world, and I can come back, I plan to possess David Gordon Green and make his life a living hell.'" -Ed Whitfield Looks like Friedkin's Spirit really does do it since green boys "trilogy" is canned. Get him, William!

[@Chelaxim]

"You forgot the number one rule of reamkes....don't fk with the orginal" Sidney Prescott Scream 4

[@rustygazes256]

The first exorcist sadly will NEVER be surpassed.. it's wrapped with a great story, and perfect timing when released.

[@spinlok3943]

Exorcist 3 is very good though.

[@Oneanddone14]

It is not sad. EX 1 is the GOAT.

[@HorusTheGrey_17]

Exorcist 3 was awesome.But relating to your comment, it's the writing..Fans make better theories.

[@HorusTheGrey_17]

​@@spinlok3943It's was awesome

[@HorusTheGrey_17]

​@@spinlok3943best jump scare in history.I still jump

[@Jeffros44]

In the 1971 book, Chris does go into Regan's room , briefly, but the demon's abuse chases her out. " Patriarchy" nothing.

[@HalloweenYearRound]

Agree wholeheartedly that Karras is the protagonist of the original movie, and been saying it for years! He's the one who has the character arc and is the hero in the end!

[@aronbond]

spot on!

[@monsterpig3270]

The Exorcist was really 3 stories in one with the main characters clashing in the finale.

[@BlamoFilmz]

exactly @@monsterpig3270

[@vampricramen]

In the novel it's blatantly obvious that Karras is the protagonist. The film still portrays his character arc very well. The themes are pretty clear.

[@satisfied656]

This is exactly what happens when someone turns #TheExorcist into a PG-13 crap movie.....🥱🥱🥱

[@Daftanemone]

My favorite bit is at the end when Margo Martindale’s character is talking to the detectives about some insane faith nonsense. The detectives let her ramble on when in reality actual detectives would be like “lady you were at the scene where two people are dead. Shut up.”

[@bongchoof]

It's tough to imagine how they could have used Ellen's character. But Ellen is such an incredible actress that it is a waste not to use her if you have the opportunity. But they gave her junk and she knew it. That's why she looks so uninterested.

[@hungwilliam44]

At least Linda Blair had enough class to avoid this donkey.

[@saphirawinters7028]

I fucking hated how Katherine (a good god fearing girl who went to church) went to hell. Especially after she spent her whole life going to church and worshipping god. Only for God to forsake her and let her burn in hell? Makes no fucking sense.

[@uniquerebeljaney3639]

I hated that too, she has to burn in hell for what exactly? Because she went to the woods? That's it? That's her crime? Hated it.

[@J0MBi]

She went to hell - because the entire plot was just red herring, surface level nonsense to set up a SAW style dilemma as a final twist at the end @@uniquerebeljaney3639

[@spinlok3943]

Because she's the white one, that's why.

[@saphirawinters7028]

@uniquerebeljaney3639 I just can't get over the whole God forsaking her thing. I mean she was good her entire life, played by the rules. Messed up only ONCE (the woods incident) only because she wanted to help her friend communicate with her dead mom and that gets her sent to hell? And why aren't the parents more devastated at that fact? If my child went to hell. I'd be begging and pleading with God to save her. Even tell him to take me in her (Katherine's) place so that Katherine can get to heaven.

[@spinlok3943]

@@saphirawinters7028 Odds are the makers of the films aren't religious and don't care about theology. The whole sequence of the people of different religions doing the exorcisms was proof of that.

[@oakeidissiczeppic974]

The 1973 film is a mature and measured look at faith written by someone who valued and studied it. Believer comes off like it was written by someone whose deepest thoughts on religion are “If there’s a god, why would he let bad things happen?”. Vapid Hollywood types writing beyond their realm.

[@satisfied656]

This is exactly what happens when someone turns #TheExorcist into a PG-13 crap movie.....🥱🥱🥱

[@MiguelThinks]

Then again, I don't think people of the secular mindset would want to watch a film that is still inherently about faith, whether it sucks or not. Moral philosophy has no correlation to budget or writing quality.

[@_uncredited]

Great video. No movie has ever made me this angry. I'm still not over it. When people ask me what's wrong I can only turn to the sky and make incoherent wailing noises.

[@aronbond]

hahah well said uncredited. i put it on the other day and turned it off 80 seconds later. could NOT watch another second. terrible

[@Oneanddone14]

I wanted to set my phone on fire when I saw the trailer.

[@HumanBeanbag]

I relate to this so much

[@TurboThunderGaming]

@@aronbond you didn't even watch the whole movie? hahaha, are you retarded?

[@satisfied656]

This is exactly what happens when someone turns #TheExorcist into a PG-13 crap movie.....🥱🥱🥱

[@BarryHart-xo1oy]

One thing l found depressing about this video is the realization that there are people who will defend this travesty of a movie.As the narrator pointed out,Fathers Damian Karras(Jason Miller) and Merrin(Max von Sydow)gave their lives to save Regan MacNeil in the original movie,yet in “The Exorcist:Believer” we have Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burton)fulminating about the “damn patriarchy”.Such complete disregard for the meaning and sacrifices of the first movie.

[@JediJunkie247]

"I choose you," is not a horror movie resolution. It's a game of Pokémon

[@jenniferb8097]

One of the biggest sins a movie can commit is being boring, and this one was soooo boring. I feel like Hollywood has no original ideas anymore. It's either remakes or sequels/prequels. It was an awful year for horror, with the exception of Talk to Me. Now that was good

[@GeminiladyJackson-xq6hc]

Hollywood studios are so bad that they're making remakes from remakes.

[@Haplo699g]

My theory about DGG is that his first Halloween was met with a relatively positive response, this swelled his ego. When Halloween Kills was released to a much more negative response, it kind of broke him. Causing him to make Halloween Ends a movie ending the Halloween series that doesn't really focus on Michael. Kind of like an eff you to the fans who didn't like Kills.

[@IcaroRamosDM]

I had a different feeling about DGG. The first Halloween sweeled up his ego, but when Kills csme out he went into denial with a "Nah, I can't do horror wrong, they just don't get it". No unsure director would accept such a huge movie like The Exorcist. He had to be 100% confident on his "talent" to agree to do it

[@gabrielhartzog4274]

​@IcaroRamosDM my theory is halloween 2018 was lightening in a bottle. A shot in the dark that actually hit its mark. Because dgg has done nothing but suicide bomb 2 of the most cherishes horror franchises because he got lucky and Blum gave him the keys.

[@J0MBi]

"Kind of like an eff you to the fans who didn't like Kills" I'd avoid jumping to conclusions like this, much more likely that he's just not a very good film maker and chose to take on a 3 movie deal for the $$$

[@Haplo699g]

@J0MBi Possible, but to make a Halloween finale that pisses all over Michael, that has to be more than ineptitude.

[@JasonHauser125]

@@gabrielhartzog4274 It didn't hit the mark for me. I did NOT like Halloween 2018. Keeping Michael in an asylum for 40 years while the town remains in fear of him, with Laurie building a weapons bunker for his eventual escape just makes no sense other than to retcon everything else because they had no choice because Curtis was in her 70s now. Even now in the sequels, is Michael an old man or is he a force of indestructible evil? Looks like he can't be hurt or killed, even when an entire mob shoots and stabs him, so I'm guessing indestructible source of evil, but nowhere in the trilogy does it even try to describe how this came about.

[@ConfusedReviews]

Ellen Burstyn was the real winner. A real legend. $$$

[@shan4680]

"Ellen Burstyn Agreed to Star in ‘The Exorcist’ Sequel to Fund Scholarship Program for Actors" - Indiwire

[@theblackflame4002]

yeah, a real sell out uttering that patriarchy line and shitting on the original.

[@aimeem]

@@theblackflame4002 Yeah, blame the actress instead of the director, the writers, and the producers -- all 7 of them men, by the way

[@AA-ed6ek]

@@theblackflame4002 Lol.

[@satisfied656]

This is exactly what happens when someone turns #TheExorcist into a PG-13 crap movie.....🥱🥱🥱

[@JunkYardCardGuy]

David Gordon Green makes garbage. Nothing more, nothing less.

[@GeminiladyJackson-xq6hc]

David Gordon Green should have recruited Linda Blair to be in the film.

[@astraghost774]

​@@GeminiladyJackson-xq6hc she is in the film

[@satisfied656]

This is exactly what happens when someone turns #TheExorcist into a PG-13 crap movie.....🥱🥱🥱

[@WilsonCleveland2]

Ellen Burstyn has a line in INTERSTELLAR where she says, "No parent should have to watch their own child die." Imagine how different Ellen's ridiculous cameo would've been if we learned Regan had recently died. Imagine that's her motivation to go with Victor; and IMAGINE if Katherine spoke in Regan's voice to taunt Chris - like Pazuzu did with Karras' mother.

[@palerider1137]

“I don’t understand how you can screw that up” John Carpenter

[@kjone5086]

No way they just mentioned the patriarchy in this kind of movie. When will the writers realize not everyone has a sociology and or wants to be spoonfed some political propaganda. Think this, think that. How about making at least an entertaining movie? A sequel to an 70s horror movie shouldn't be a place for writers to show how socially conscious (or perhaps more fittingly unconscious) they are.

[@laurenwasinger9436]

I never got the impression that Reagen’s mom was pumped to be in the room during the exorcism. She seemed horrified as hell and ready to GTFO and let the professionals handle it.

[@wilfredoanunezpacheco5367]

Your obvious toxic masculinity and fragility is showing if that one simple patriarchy line triggered you so much. 😂

[@zaxthedestroyer675]

The exorcist believer had a cool concept initially in the trailers, teasing the concept of different forms of exorcism from around the world. But it turned into a group of people blabbering incoherent nonsense around the possessed girls.

[@lauralilley8606]

I was so excited to see this movie. I went to the theater and got very irritated that there was a drunk guy chanting "stupid m#$%&ers" in the audience. They turned all the house lights on, stopped the movie, and tossed that guy out of there. And it was all downhill from there........ if only I had known what awaited me, I would have gotten myself thrown out with him!

[@Jamesmincks819]

Universal: We spent $400 million for 3 Exorcist films. After Exorcist Believer comes out: Oh dear we made a $400 million dollar mistake.

[@RPumpkinQueen]

The ending of DGG's Exorcist flick is the same as in Leslie Nielsen's REPOSSESSED. I was laughing my heart out!

[@ASSLEVANIA]

Honestly I’d just redirect everyone to Repossessed over anything post-Exorcist III, especially considering how few people seem to know or remember such a classic.

[@Kieray]

@@ASSLEVANIAI’d say give the exorcist tv show a try to. It’s not for everyone but I enjoyed it and it’s definitely the best exorcist thing since 3

[@Oneanddone14]

@@ASSLEVANIA I agree. Give Linda and Leslie some love instead of a pathetic preq, seq, re....none, including the very solid EX 3, should have been made.

[@ajytabbott2004]

When the news came out last week that the other two Exorcist films that were coming were taken off the calendar, I let out the biggest sigh of relief. This movie's existence angers me 😂

[@aronbond]

REALLY?? WHOA, hold on, is that true? i know dg green left but are those other turds cancelled now???

[@ajytabbott2004]

@@aronbond Blumhouse took The Exorcist Deceiver off their release calendar. After a flop like Believer, I wouldn't be surprised if they just tossed it out all together

[@marywise7661]

they will be mqade when they find the right director i imagine

[@satisfied656]

This is exactly what happens when someone turns #TheExorcist into a PG-13 crap movie.....🥱🥱🥱

[@andria8279]

@@ajytabbott2004 but can we at least see what happens to Katherine

[@wadejohnston4305]

Theres a reason the ONLY person whose been able to make a successful seuqel was the creator/writer himself with exorcist 3 and even then while 3 is considered an amazing movie it didnt do THAT great in theatres but i highly rec it to anyone whose a fan of the original. The author didnt even eanna name it exprcist 3 but the studios DEMANDED that he did for the brand recognition.

[@aronbond]

100 percent spot on wade, couldnt agree more. such a shame more people don't buzz into exorcist 3

[@mychunkyjordi7585]

I have Exorcist 3 it's the time and heretic that bothers me as I switch off if too long 😊🐾💜👍

[@Powerdweeb96]

I'm pretty sure the patriarchy line was referring to the patriarchy of the church, as in you have to be a priest to be there, but even so you KNOW they knew what they were doing with that line

[@Kieray]

But even then the line doesn’t make sense in both the movie and book of the exorcist Ellen’s character hesitates to touch her child after the priest sacrifices himself. If she hesitates to comfort her weeping and sick child because she was terrified. In the first movie you can see her hiding down stairs crying scared of what’s happening in that bedroom. It was used to highlight just how bad the situation really was that a mother was so terrified of her child. Then you have the other fact that she had to beg said patriarchy to even look at her daughter after everyone else failed and couldn’t help the Catholic Church was literally her last resort and both of the priests sent to save her daughter died doing so the line makes no sense except for a stupid smash the patriarchy throwaway line. It’s like they watched the exorcist movie and read the book but completely ignored them

[@jackiet1313]

Thank you for this video!! I knew people didn’t love it, but holy shit it’s awful for every single reason mentioned here. I feel validated in my anger now.

[@engliCH9ball]

Makes me sick your channel doesn't have a million subscribers. You're one of the best horror KZbin channels out

[@nicktrueman224]

The older male character trope is because we are exactly that now in reality. Staying single.

[@mikepain6048]

Ellen Burstyn was the reason I couldn't finish the movie.

[@mstone9364]

I honestly think the last two Halloween movies tarnished David Gordon green’s reputation with horror movies. He should’ve ended with Halloween 2018

[@emptyblank099a]

the trilogy was terrible, we already had h20 which told the exact same story but better.

[@dontrah1838]

Never really liked David Gordon green man

[@kaseempayne2212]

I agree.

[@TheJokesterSCR]

I liked Kills a lot as mindless entertainment from watching my favorite slasher going ham on the entire town. I know... Evil dies tonight and all that... whatever. The rest of the movie was fun. However, Ends was SO bad and SO disrespectful to the lore that THEY THEMSELVES established in the previous movies that it makes me like 2018 AND Kills even less knowing what they are leading up to.

[@satisfied656]

This is exactly what happens when someone turns #TheExorcist into a PG-13 crap movie.....🥱🥱🥱

[@SoCalGuy20]

The original Exorcist was terrifying. It will not be beat. I thought Believer had a good story going on, but it didn’t have that terrifying edge. Reagan had a terrifying look and voice. She was also so intense. No movie to this day scares me like the Exorcist.

[@GeminiladyJackson-xq6hc]

Please check out the movie, The Strangers (2008) starring Liv Tyler. The movie is terrifying from the beginning to the end. 2:03

[@alexmammoth2916]

Me: I'm so tired of hearing about this shitty movie *HC uploads* Me: One more... For old time's sake

[@HORRORCULTURE]

Same here, I’m done with this movie forever

[@Ugenesis2010]

Some gripes I have with this review. One is that the movie did have a theme that wasn’t explored in this video, which was not to defy fate. The father in the beginning tried to defy fate by choosing his wife over his daughter, instead of just letting things play-out, thus losing his wife. Near the end of the movie he actually learned his lesson and didn’t make a choice at all, and let fate decide, and his daughter was saved. I do agree with everything else stated in the video though.

[@anakaliaeastwood]

Ellen Burstyn was great, of course, but I laughed through most of this movie. My sister fell asleep about 30 minutes in and my mom didn't scream once. That's saying something, because my mom is that person you WANT to watch horror movies with due to her bloodcurdling screams that are typically more terrifying than anything you'd ever encounter in a horror film. Not even a single "eek" of a scream from her.

[@Oneanddone14]

Burstin is an outstanding actress, but Cris' arc was absurd.

[@TheCupiecheck]

I watched this with high hopes after recently finishing the exorcist book. Was thoroughly disappointed at what I saw. Wasn't scary, was super confused at the end. Like the climax of the film felt like a water gun instead of a fire hydrant and then it was like "okay all done." The only thing that made me smile was to see Linda Blair and Ellen Burstyn have a scene together.

[@uniquerebeljaney3639]

I watched this last weekend, and apart from the eye stabbing scene, nothing remotely scary happened. It was abysmal.

[@fairytalepurityanalyser6056]

I've been watching 4k Suspiria (1977) on disk and the thought of watching a 2023 horror film like The Exorcist: Believer feels like taking a downgrade in technology so I'm not even going to try. I'm staying with Suspiria guaranteed.

[@nexus666__]

The avengers joke had me dying 😂 ,i absolutely hated Halloween ends

[@fisher3317]

19:46 It's funny that you bring this up. I saw a clip on KZbin of a guy watching this scene, and when the face popped up with no accompanying music or loud noise, it literally made him jump back and question what he just saw. Pretty sure none of the scares in Believer would've had that effect.

[@lacyInmon1978]

The Exorcist scared the hell out of me. My older brother made me watch it when I was only 3 years old

[@jaygarcia8508]

I still can't "Believe" how bad they dropped the ball with this one.

[@MadailinBurnhope]

the problem with "the patriarchy" line is not that it doesn't make sense, it's that it's not specific enough; something like "the damn Vatican boys club" might have been better

[@TheJokesterSCR]

Or just not making some dumb ass woke statement at all would be even better.

[@KennethBlum-sl6rx]

​@@TheJokesterSCRthey just can't help themselves can they

[@AA-ed6ek]

@@TheJokesterSCR Exactly.

[@caesar349]

Hollywood- years and years of failures now.

[@donniecatalano]

They have all the money in the world but also all the mediocrity in the universe 🤣

[@JJDBaca]

I was yanked clean out of any acceptability when Ellen Burstyn was stabbed in the eyes, and immediately speaking clearly and lucidly in the hospital. She wasn't moaning in pain, or subdued by medication. She was acting like she was just blindfolded, rather than just blinded. As well as she acted in Requiem, this was just a super big disappointment... but not a surprise.

[@stevecunningham8889]

Personally, I find references to "The Patriarchy", and yet another beloved work of art being used as a skin suit for "The Message", a lot more sinister than anything in the original Exorcist I look forward to this putrid ideology and its cretinous adherents being replaced, as they inevitably will be, by a young, adventurous, vibrant generation who finds this shower of imposters embarrassing beyond words, and that they rediscover the creative spark, bravery and sensitivity to human complexity that brought about towering works like The Exorcist in the first place.

[@luckybat7137]

I love how she was giggling and trying to keep a straight face. She knew. She knew how bad it was gonna be. 😂

[@kyletitterton]

400 mill to buy the rights. 100 mill to make the film and market it (I have no idea the budget really) but the best part of half a billy to make this flop. The amount of money flushed down the toilet here is utterly breathtaking. They could have made 50 smaller, fresh tales for 10 mill each and one of them is gonna catch fire and result in a credible franchise. At least then you're producing tons of content and you'd get a rep for taking bold chances. Horror is NOT the genre to pump money into. In fact the budget is usually inversely proportional to how scary a film is. Now, I'm a complete and utter moron and I've just outlined a viable, sustainable business model. How daft must the executives be at Universal to not think of something similarly vaguely original?

[@jonathanwright8025]

Ngl I kinda like it when mega corporations screw themselves over. Just don't like that lower level working people will inevitably get screwed by the execs incompetence.

[@TheJuRK]

From the minds behind Pineapple Express and Your Highness.... All I had needed to hear.

[@KennethBlum-sl6rx]

Yep.

[@GrindfatherJones]

The whole movie was so disrespectful to not only the legacy of the original, but also to the viewer. DGG and Jason Blum truly should be blacklisted from filmmaking after all the damage they've done to the horror genre, and modern cinema as a whole

[@billmcdermott9647]

think you nailed it. I do wonder what they were trying to say with the patriarchy line….were they trying to virtue signal/be woke or was the point that she didn’t know what she was talking about ? because once she was in the room with the demon….it absolutely demolished her

[@spinlok3943]

I sort of wondered if she was trying to make a joke. Either way it didn't make sense.

[@billmcdermott9647]

Maybe she was trying to defuse the situation with a bit of humour but it didn’t seem like she was joking @@spinlok3943

[@destinyn63]

The way yall use the word woke and don’t even know the real meaning behind it is hilarious 😂

[@billmcdermott9647]

@@destinyn63 I’m talking about the purpose of her dialogue since no offence to her but they obviously kept her out of that room for a reason

[@goober5713]

The Exercist scared the hell out of me as a kid.

[@SamuelBlack84]

Surprisingly, it's never scared me in the slightest

[@goober5713]

@SamuelBlack84 I was 5, and my dad said that's what happens when you don't pray...

[@SamuelBlack84]

@goober5713 Well, I've prayed just a few times, either to help myself or wish vengeance on my enemies and absolutely nothing had happened

[@goober5713]

@SamuelBlack84 it's a waste of time, but to a 5 year old, it's a little frightening.

[@SamuelBlack84]

@goober5713 Suppose so. To be fair, I grew up watching a lot of horror, so I became desensitised very early on, and the horror genre to me is like wrapping myself up in a warm blanket

[@CoreyGIvey]

Your Google Bridge joke had my Google Home device pulling up bridges! 😅😅😅

[@mikebell7446]

the best line in a review I have ever heard anyone say was 'Repossessed was a more faithful sequel than this is' I can't remember who to credit but it is so true (as messed up as it sounds)

[@ExorcistReviews]

04:44 / I guess it was ok for Merrin to touch Regan (drawing a cross on her temple with his thumb). 09:20 / Chris sure didn't act like an expert. "In the name of my daughter Regan" - was that supposed to do something? 11:00 / No need to remind Chris. Tell the writers to research the canon, background and watch the original film next time. 23:57 / Ya know, that bed (and Angela) looked pretty dry. I honestly saw nothing to suggest that she wet the bed other than Victor saying it. It would have made a good "show - don't tell" moment. 28:13 / We knew very little about Katherine - even when looking up the cast (online) before the movie was released. Early on, her family didn't even have names. Lol. I didn't even know Katherine's last name was West until her dad hung up the "missing person" flyer. It's like all the red flags were there to indicate she was going to be killed off in the end. The writers: Why bother fleshing out that family (or give them full names)?We're gonna kill the daughter off anyway. 28:33 / The Lamashtu design didn't make any sense to me. It looks like it should be in the film Legend. The original Exorcist film followed Pazuzu's Mesopotamian depiction fairly closely - outside the use of Eileen Dietz's test makeup. Green's three-eyed demon looks like the one depicted in the Paizo-Pathfinder RPG. As far as I know, she wasn't depicted with horns, wings or a third eye. When the film opened up in Haiti, I thought vodou would be involved. IMO, a good antagonist choice might have been the Lwa, Bakoulou Baka. A powerful fallen spirit driven into the woods. His domain.

[@BarryHart-xo1oy]

That sounds like a great idea,using a fallen deity from Haitian vodou.

[@-Evil-Genius-]

🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 00:00 🎬 *Introduction to The Exorcist Believer* - The creator expresses disappointment with recent horror films in 2023, highlighting The Exorcist Believer as a monumental failure. - Emphasis on the passion for movies, especially the original Exorcist film, and the desire to discuss the reasons behind its failure. 01:59 💔 *Initial Decisions and Setup* - Universal buys The Exorcist franchise for $400 million, signaling financial risk. - David Gordon Green, known for Halloween movies, is chosen as the director. - Early positive impressions give way to disappointment as the film progresses. 02:40 🌍 *Plot Overview - First Act* - Introduction to the movie's plot starting in Haiti with main character Victor and his pregnant wife. - The earthquake incident and the 13-year time jump, setting the stage for the missing person thriller. - Victor's daughter Angela and her friend Catherine go missing, triggering the introduction of Exorcist elements. 03:54 🧟 *Demon Unveiling and Chris McNeil's Return* - Girls return from the woods, showing signs of possession, leading to Exorcist shenanigans. - Chris McNeil, the original film's protagonist, returns as an exorcism expert, causing narrative confusion. - Ellen Burstyn's character, Chris McNeil, exits the movie abruptly after a brief appearance. 04:54 🤯 *Baffling Exorcism and Confusing Choices* - The climactic exorcism scenes unfold, featuring unconventional and confusing elements. - The rule of not touching the possessed girls is broken without clear consequences. - A deal with the demon introduces a choice, resulting in an unexpected and dark twist. 05:53 🧐 *Critique on Legacy Recalls and Character Mishandling* - The pattern of legacy recalls in recent movies, showcasing the failure to capture the essence of original characters. - Critique on Chris McNeil's character evolution, finding it inconsistent with the established narrative. - The impact of legacy recalls on the film industry and the lack of originality in handling beloved characters. 07:57 😱 *Lack of Horror and Failed Scares* - Expressing disappointment in the film's inability to deliver effective horror. - Detailed criticism of specific scenes that were intended to be scary but fell short. - Comparisons with the iconic and enduring scares from the original 1973 Exorcist. 14:29 🎞️ *Missed Opportunities for Horror Innovation* - The missed opportunity to push the boundaries of horror and reinvent the genre. - Critique on the lack of memorable scares in Exorcist Believer compared to the iconic imagery of the original. - Highlighting the potential of exploring horror with creepy demon girls. 16:09 🎭 *Critique on Editing Choices* - Strong critique on the film's editing, considering it one of the worst in the industry. - Emphasizing the importance of seamless editing for a compelling cinematic experience. - Criticism of excessive quick cuts and flashy edits without serving a clear purpose in the narrative. 19:08 🤷‍♂️ *Conclusion - Character Contribution and Emotional Impact* - Arguing that Chris McNeil's character in Exorcist Believer adds nothing substantial to the story. - Expressing a lack of emotional engagement and impact during key moments. - Concluding with disappointment and questioning the choices made in creating The Exorcist Believer. 19:22 🎬 *Themes of the 1973 Exorcist* - The 1973 movie allows scenes to breathe, immersing the audience in the world. - Contrasts the scariness of a lurking presence with flashy, purposeless quick cuts. - Explores the themes of despair, faith, and purpose in the original Exorcist. 20:24 🎭 *Issues with David Gordon Green's Execution* - David Gordon Green struggles to execute interesting ideas effectively. - Highlights the failure in conveying meaningful messages in "Exorcist Believer." - Compares the ineffective themes and characters of the new film with the 1973 movie. 22:44 🕵️ *Problems with the Character of Victor* - Victor's character in the new film lacks genuine emotion and connection with the audience. - Contrasts the raw, genuine emotions portrayed by Ellen Burstyn in the original. - Criticizes Victor's stoic portrayal and lack of emotional depth. 25:31 🌐 *Issues with the "Community" Theme* - Discusses the film's emphasis on the community coming together to defeat evil. - Highlights the lack of correlation between the setup and the resolution of the conflict. - Points out the randomness and lack of purpose in the demon's deal, undermining the community theme. 28:23 🎥 *Some Positive Aspects of "Exorcist Believer"* - Acknowledges the film's impressive makeup effects and portrayal of possessed demons. - Appreciates the performances of the child actors in both normal and possessed states. - Gives credit to the cinematography and visuals, despite some questionable elements. Made with HARPA AI

[@meganjk]

"Secretly" the main character? Don't know how to break this to you, but he's the known main character... to The Exorcist. The title is a hint, so is the story...

[@jefferyjones8399]

I am convinced David Gordon Green was never great to begin with and that Halloween 2018 was just a fluke

[@Jiren261]

I never found Halloween 2018 all that good to be honest. The only Halloween movies I'd rank it higher than is 5, Resurrection & Ends

[@jeannineterese1037]

I wouldn’t even watch it. I don’t want my memories tainted. 👹

[@nihilismistheonlyway4680]

Completely agree. The Exorcist is one of my favorite horror movies. I haven't laughed this hard a horor movie since The Bye-Bye Man! 😂

[@tonypolk8]

the title alone makes me giggle "the bye bye man" 😭

[@emptyblank099a]

why bother with a sequel when we have thousands of exorcist movies being made each and every year. Even the foreign market is flooded with demon possession movies.

[@joshuah9109]

EXACTLY!!!

[@TheLegendaryMovieCritic]

The Exorcist: Believer was so bad that the director left The Exorcist: Deciever which is dead & buried!

[@Candywarhol]

Look on the bright side: This schlock makes The Heretic look a lot better. Right...?

[@Jiren261]

I think the only horror franchises that delivered in 2023 were VHS & Saw, VHS 84 & Saw X were pretty good IMO.

[@ramon6567]

You didn’t point out that despite the movie pretending that every culture/ religion had a part in “saving the day” that wasn’t true. It was literally 95% Christianity. There was one other religion/magin aspect. Where was every other major religion or magical belief

[@RightNowMan]

Excellent video, thanks for making this, you're a funny guy!

[@shenloken2]

They made a big deal about Ellen Burstyn coming back the same way they made a big deal about Jeff Goldblum coming back for Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom. Neither were in the film long enough to justify their inclusion other than trying to capitalize on the films that started these franchises.

[@AnD2LPU]

I 100% agree. And also: what was the purpose of the priest in this? He shows up a handful of minutes without a coherent explanation, then you don't see him for a while, then everyone wants him desperately to join the ritual and he abruptly leaves, then shows up again with an editing that desperately wants you to break down in tears for the emotional weight of the scene... But it really means nothing at all. The character hasn't shown up enough to make us feel connected, he has no sense of purpose or arc.. Even worse than Regan's mother. He was just wasted minutes for me.

[@bwestbrook90]

The real issue here is that the theological underpinnings of the first movie are what made it so successful. The fact that this movie spits in the face of that tradition. Not all religions are the same, and only Christianity has the power to expel demons.

[@TothanCrawk]

I mean as a stand alone sequel, it's pretty disappointing, but as an introductory chapter in what's supposed to be a trilogy, it's exactly what it's supposed to be.

[@direktive4]

the Die Hard with a Vengeance setup

[@scp-507]

It’s funny how David wanted to retcon the Halloween sequels considering every movie he makes steals the editing style of Halloween 6.

[@bloodscribecreations]

This is why horror fans need to make the conscious decision to turn their back on the studios and search for their horror in indie filmmakers. It's going to be a hard road at first but these studios are only ever going to learn the wrong lessons when we keep going back to the cinema to watch piss like this.

[@veggiesaremurder]

Can we talk about the antiwhiteism in this movie? The fact that the White parents hate this perfectly sweet kid for absolutely no reason? That they're evil for choosing their own child? An innocent child gets dragged to Hell for eternity, which cannot happen in any religion that I know of because demons don't have the power to do that! How about the fact that it was the power of CHRIST that subdued the SAME DEMON in the first movie (if the first exorcist didn't die, it probably would've worked), but somehow, a mishmash of different religions could come together to defeat it in this one? They just couldn't have a pro-Catholic/pro-Christian movie. How did NO ONE in that room see that the "deal" was a CLEAR trick of the demon? They LIE. It's rule #1! There's just too much bad stuff to say about this movie.

[@kelvintheproduct4289]

“Antiwhiteism” is not a thing, and it’s just a movie, calm down.

[@mackchats6520]

All the different religions coming together is the worst thing about that film, that and the patriarchy thing which was pure vomit inducing, William Peter Blatty was raised Catholic and educated at a Jesuit school, the Exorcist book is steeped in catholicism, that was Blatty's teachings, education and upbringing and the story is only enriched by that, you don't have to be from that religion to understand that, if anything you could learn something because of it's accuracy depicted in the story, Friedkin was raised Jewish, but was agnostic and still managed to present an accurate depiction of modern day (70s) catholicism in westen culture, so getting all of the religions to come together Avengers style to hold hands and kumbaya the shit out of the evil really does show that the makers of this really didn't understand what Blatty had done and why thats a master class is story telling, this film goes way beyond being just a Monumental Failure, it's the cinematic equivalent of a group of engineers crawling around on all fours with their heads inserted into their asses bumping into each other trying to find the lightswitch.

[@martinlarrivee5081]

I swear, this is one of the most inept attempts at filmmaking I have ever seen. Blumhouse losing 400 million on this actually brings me a lot of joy.

[@Marshmallow_Trees]

The Exorcist never fails to simultaneously crack me up and scare the hell out of me. The best part is when the demon bellows, “MERRINNNNNNNNN!!” Never fails to make me laugh. Scariest parts are the quiet parts.

[@IronBeagle2003]

The movie was so bad David Gordon Green yeeted himself out of the Trilogy. I don’t mind Requels. In fact, I quite like a good some and love a select few, but holy shit Believer was WAAAAAAY off.

[@grapeshot]

Yes this movie hit with a thud sound much like that torpedo they hit the side of the Hunt for Red October when it hadn't traveled far enough to arm.

[@WolfkingSybren]

I think I'll pass on this one and stick to Exorcist II: The Heretic, wich is more original and brings us back Regan and Sharon..it isn't a great movie, but it does try to be something else

[@scottbaker5998]

The thing which I really loved about the original was the the theme of the ritual of exorcism and the struggle of Father Karras to regain his shaken faith in the Church and in his God. The theme this lame film laid out, which was emphasized by Chris McNeil, was that the Church was unimportant, Christianity was not even a central part of saving the girls from the demon, it was all about the will of the parents and friends and their love for the children. Once again, Hollywood de-emphasizes faith and the Church and places man in the role of his own god.

[@devianskills1107]

I get really fed up with people beating the mantra that Gordon Green turned out one good Halloween film (the first in his trilogy). He didn't. While the film looks visually competent, the script is the work of sheer incompetence. One day, everyone's going to break from the chorus and realize this. The guy is a complete and utter hack.

[@EricBinford]

This S**t movie... I have a history with the original Exorcist, I was exposed to it as a 6 year old sitting in a lawn chair at a Drive-In (was not remembered fondly) The second time I was in my tweens, getting up in the middle of night to watch on HBO while my parents slept. It was storming outside masking my viewing only for the power to go off at a very scary part of the movie. So I sat, petrified in the dark. Those old tube televisions, I jumped to life just for a sec, a very scary second, that ended that attempt. One more try in my teens, sitting in a beanbag facing the same TV, when again, at a scary point, my brother sleepwalks into the room and falls on me. Yeah, thar ended me trying to watch it for years. I did get thru it, a solid terrifying film. Part 2-not so much. Pt.3 Legion, an excellent film, one of my favorites. The prequels...meh. Now, they've really amped up the scares, not. Terrible film, preachy crap, and seriously... there is no Exorcism in this film??. W.T.F? I was gonna pay to see it, I didn't. Thank God.

[@maddymooo]

I feel like Candyman (2021) broke the failure legacy character cliche. Anne Marie is a woman traumatized by the kidnapping of her baby Anthony. As a result, she got themselves out of poverty in order to live a good life. She's not depressed and regretful. She's just a traumatized woman who would rather not reflect on thirty year old trauma.

[@zenpowersgaming5511]

I couldn't agree more. You hit all the valid points. Especially the comment about the patriarchy. You hit that nail right on the head.

[@rustygazes256]

If I were to do the film , I'd go in the direction of what happened from Regan's point of view . She would at first hear Capt howdy , and as she has flashbacks one more disturbing than the next untill she's in a hell/limbo , or neutral zone as the demon took full control. The flashbacks would happen as since she was delivered, and experienced possession first hand, she assist priest on many exorcisms until meeting the same demon she was possessed with in a boy present day.

[@bst6791]

What a 2020s line, "it's because I'm not a member of the damn patriarchy". I'm a man and I sure wish someone would show me where the line starts to join this damn patriarchy everybody is bitching about, so everything can start come so freaking easy to me.

[@LukeLovesRose]

How dare those evil male priests keep her safe from this vengeful and violent demon?

[@BigBadWolfieWolfs]

"The patriarchy" is the only reason she still had a daughter, it cost two wiser and stronger men their lives to save her daughter, while she couldn't do anything but cower outside the room out of their way. Such disrespectful stupidity.

[@BibiRose]

They made Chris McNeal look like David Bowie in one of his latest videos 😅

[@ZelinkSupporter]

I don't think there was a single person who thought that this would live up to the original The fact that people were *still* let down *really* says something

[@vectorwolf]

First of all, if you're going to evict a Mesopotamian demon, whether it's Pazuzu or Lamashtu, you ought to be referencing the spells for doing so in the culture that came up with them. Expecting a Christian exorcism to work is like expecting Unix commands to work in Windows. Details aside though, while I won't argue that Exorcist is a miles-better piece of cinema than the new one, I still wouldn't call it scary. I think you had to have a religious background before it would get to you, because even at the time I found it alternately just gross or silly.

[@spinlok3943]

I think the idea of Pazuzu was 1. Basically have a mythological stand-in as opposed to calling attention to any "real" demons documented in Catholicism 2. The idea could be that Pazuzu is a demon from Judeo-Christian belief lore that infiltrated Mesopotamian culture to make himself be a deity to be worshipped to gain power.

[@davidellismartin9619]

Bruv, that recluse montage is absolute 🔥.

[@myles_bennett77]

Great video and you’ve got a really MST3K-esque sense of humor !

[@johnquinn4151]

Exorcist believer would make a glass eyeball go to sleep

[@Macaco_Gotico]

Angela moves herself like someone who's "possessed" by venom

[@mollygrace3068]

Of course the priest is the main character. It’s called The Exorcist. You’re spot on with this video. I am someone who cannot watch horror movies. I can’t sleep alone at night in the dark. Horror movie mess up my mind. Everything works on me: jump scares, violin stings, dark circles under eyes, everything. I LAUGHED all through this movie! The scene in Haiti was the only scene worth anything. It’s sad, because the basic plot ChatGPT wrote for them wasn’t that bad, if the human writers had been talented enough to fill in the details better.

[@Jason-lw7tk]

Ellen Burstyn is a treasure and a legend! It really sucks she had to be a part of this.

[@decou3711]

Great video, as always! Is there any chance you might do something werewolf-related on this channel? Maybe about the Ginger Snaps-Trilogy oder the classics like American Werewolf in London or The Howling. I would love to hear your opinion on that!

[@MsMarco6]

It's such a shame that they cancelled the Tv show (the best use of the brand since the original) to push out this dreck. The unfortunate truth is that if someone presented the producers with the OG Exorcist today, they would reject it. So if they don't think modern audiences would enjoy the Exorcist or a film in it's style then why on earth did they spend $400,000,000 to obtain the brand.