“The Devil only has one wish. And that’s to make you give up.”
On September 3rd, Latin Horror attended an advance screening of Universal Pictures’ The Exorcist: Believer. It was an offer that was a taboo here at Latin Horror because the original 1973 film, William Friedkin‘s The Exorcist, is what set our founder Edwin Pagán on his path to eventually establishing this website. Plus the film is Pagán’s favorite all-time movie. I, on the other hand, didn’t find ‘The Exorcist’ scary until my mid 20’s, when I watched the film alone at home in surround sound. Hearing the artistry of the 5.1 changed my view on the film, as the experience terrified me. But with an open mind we made our way to New York (I from Jersey City and Edwin from the Boogie-down Bronx). As we arrived at the theater an usher assured us that the theater had been “blessed by a priest.”
On September 3rd, Latin Horror attended an advance screening of Universal Pictures’ The Exorcist: Believer. It was an offer that was a taboo here at Latin Horror because the original 1973 film, William Friedkin‘s The Exorcist, is what set our founder Edwin Pagán on his path to eventually establishing this website. Plus the film is Pagán’s favorite all-time movie. I, on the other hand, didn’t find ‘The Exorcist’ scary until my mid 20’s, when I watched the film alone at home in surround sound. Hearing the artistry of the 5.1 changed my view on the film, as the experience terrified me. But with an open mind we made our way to New York (I from Jersey City and Edwin from the Boogie-down Bronx). As we arrived at the theater an usher assured us that the theater had been “blessed by a priest.”
MOVIE:
L to R: Edwin Pagán and Christian A. Morán.
The Exorcist: Believer begins in the country of Haiti with a loving couple who are photographers. The first image we see on the screen is of dogs fighting, which freeze-frames into a still photo taken by Victor Fielding (Leslie Odom Jr.), who is waiting for his wife Sorenne (Tracey Graves) to finish a religious ceremonial blessing of her pregnant belly. The couple meets up and Victor questions Sorenne’s spiritual beliefs. This leads them to a church, where Victor decides to go to the tower to take a “money shot” of the town square, while Sorenne decides to sit and rest in front of the church altar. The next day, Sorenne awakens to a massive earthquake. As she makes her way down the stairs, she is pinned down by falling debris. Victor rushes back to the building only to find her trapped and unresponsive. Next we see Victor in a hospital as two doctors break the unfortunate news that he has a dire choice to make: either save his wife or save their yet unborn child, a daughter.
Twelve years have passed. Victor and his now teenage daughter, Angela (Lidya Jewett), are in the midst of a familiar tug-of-war of Angela desperately seeking permission to hangout with her besty Katherin (Olivia O’Neill) after-school, while her father lectures her on negligent trashcan shores. After a short game of hide-and-seek to establish the bond between them before the demonic storm to follow, Victor caves to her request. The girls travel to a drainage tunnel at the edge of a the town’s woods to perform a ritual in honor Angela’s mother and go missing for three days. This is only the first of the turbulence ad trauma to follow.
Watching the film I caught off guard by several jump scares, one being a simple transitional sound stab that did manage to fling the audience into attention.
The movie is really about Victor’s faith, and his struggles with dealing with the consequences of a major life decision. As the movie drifts along, he goes from questioning his deceased wife’s “frivolous spiritual beliefs,” to eventually breaking down into accepting that his child is really possessed. His brash and snooty neighbor, Ann (Ann Dowd), a nurse and onetime novitiate nun, convinces Victor to put together a rag-tag team consisting of varied religious denominations: a Catholic priest (E.J. Bonilla), Baptist pastor (Raphael Sbarge), Ritualistic Healer (Okwui Okpokwasili), and Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn), the only member of the group with real life experience (and how!)—and scars (too many)—in an exorcism.
For those who don’t know, Ellen Burstyn is reprising her role as Chris MacNeil, the mother of the head twisting, green peas soup vomiting Regan MacNeil (Linda Blair), the possessed little girl in the original Exorcist. As a matter of fact, Ellen Burstyn has one of the best and bloodiest scenes in the movie. Spoiler Alert!!! Since in today’s ever encroaching political environment, it would be difficult to replicate the the old crucifix-stabbing-the-the-vagina routine, the filmmaker kept non-𝑠e𝑥ual and instead found a new macabre place for the insertion of the crucifix:, Chris MacNeil’s eyeballs, keeps Chris MacNeil in a hospital bed for the rest of the film.
Now back to the religious “Super Friends” and their very inclusive Exorcism. First we find out that Father Maddox can’t do the Exorcism due to church Diocese ruling that the girls get mental illness treatment in lieu of a sanctioned and dangerous (for the church) ritual. Thus keeping the priest parked in his car in front of the house saying his prayers. Now with two members down, former nun, Ann leads an Exorcist of different religious practices. Which I thought was cool because of Dr. Beehibe, the Ritualistic Healer who keep stealing scenes with her powerful performance. But with all those religious leaders Victor and Miranda (Jennifer Nettles) & Tony (Norbert Leo Butz) the parents of Katherine, were losing the battle for their little girls.
When the chips were all down, the following scene made my mouth hit the floor, and the hidden Catholic in me was in shock. It was controversial to me. Spoiler Alert Again!!! Well what happens in the scene was that Father Maddox comes in the room to save the day. I can actually hear some of the audience members cheer. Hell! Even I was cheering. As we watched the Priest, our hero put his hands on top of each girls head and started praying to vanquish these two Pazuzus. That’s when the air in the theater left the room just for a bit. As the movie decided that this will be the point where this film will pay homage to Regan and horror’s most iconic display of terror. Yes the “Linda Blair’s head spin.” All I can say is, I could see that his spine wanted to pop out of Father Maddox’s neck. I was in shock as his body slammed onto the floor. That was a good reversal.
With no hope, Victor, Miranda and Tony were given a choice by the Pazuzus, and it was that they could only save one child . Pitting the parents against each other. I think Ann said it very well, “The Devil only has one wish. And that’s to make you give up.” And this is where Victor is confronted with the ill fated decision he made in the hospital twelve years before (the movie’s bookend of choices).
The Exorcist: Believer had very strong performances from its cast, especially from Ann Dowd and Okwui Okpokwasili. They are scene stealers! And the film had it’s fan service throughout the movie, especially the end. I wish that there had been a lot more character development with the relationship of the two young girls so I could have felt more empathy for them. Overall, I came in to watch the film with no expectations and got a movie that I had fun watching. I can see the general audience enjoying the flick. Especially, Latinos who enjoy their horror with religious overtones. So let me encourage you to go see the movie, because it’s October and everyone needs some scary fun. Now off to see a Ritualistic Healer because I need a spiritual cleansing.
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