Blumhouse is betting big on “The Exorcist: Believer,” the first of a planned new trilogy of films based on the franchise.
Box-office wise it’s looking like it will be a hit, with an opening weekend domestic haul expected to be around $30-40 million. However critically, the film is bombing – which actually isn’t uncommon for this franchise.
Reviews were released this morning and according to Rotten Tomatoes, the film has racked up a score of just 24% (4.7/10) from 79 reviews so far. Funnily enough that puts it in the mid-range of the franchise to date.
The second film “Exorcist II: The Heretic” at 9% and the theatrical version of the fourth film “Exorcist: The Beginning” at 11% are the worst of the franchise to date.
Paul Schrader’s “Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist” at 30% comes in just above, the underrated “The Exorcist III” sits at 58% whilst the original Friedkin film stands at 78%.
Oddly the best scoring of the lot was FOX’s Alfonso Herrera-led acclaimed two-season TV series which stands at 89%. Here’s a sampling of reviews for the new film:
“As a perfectly serviceable horror movie, it at least gets the Exorcist franchise back into respectable territory, but there was the potential for something much better.” – Olly Richards, Empire
“If “The Exorcist: Believer” is all about devotion to spiritual (or at least cinematic) faith, its failure to live up to the power of the first film, which made zealots of even the most cynical moviegoers, borders on sacrilege.” – Michael O’Sullivan, Washington Post
“[N]ot ambitious enough to be interesting, nor is it powerful enough to get under the skin. It evades serious discussions of faith and uses the underlying depth of the series as a basis for little more than fan service and generic plot.” – William Bibbiani, The Wrap
“”The Exorcist: Believer” trots out Burstyn for continuity credibility and then treats her with stunning disrespect—the most brazen of many indications that the film is a soulless cash-in on an established name brand.” – Nick Schager, The Daily Beast
“Until someone is able to come up with a new way to depict possession or the battling of possession, this franchise is going nowhere.” – Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
“Green’s strategy seemed simple: double everything. Double the possessions, double the visual effects, double the stakes. But more isn’t always better, particularly when following a film praised for its horrifying rawness and simplicity.” – Neil Geraets, Sydney Morning Herald
“A film that was shaping up to be an intelligent and respectful homage to The Exorcist descends to the depths of a cheesy, straight-to-streaming rip-off.” – Nicholas Barber, BBC
“The Exorcist: Believer” is set for a release in cinemas on October 6th and will be followed by a sequel, “The Exorcist: Deceiver,” due in April 18th 2025. Universal is committed to a third and currently untitled one (presumably “The Exorcist: Redeemer”?) which hasn’t set a date as yet.
