Unveiling the Exorcist's Timeless Haunting: How Believers Keep the Dramatic Integrity Alive After 50 Years

Summary

Director David Gordon Green aims to preserve the tone and feel of the original classic in the new movie, The Exorcist: Believer.

The movie is the sixth installment in the franchise, depicting two young girls displaying signs of possession. Green draws parallels between The Exorcist and his Halloween trilogy, asserting that the former is extensively researched and academic in nature, striving to uphold the original's dramatic authenticity.

Director David Gordon Green, known for his work on Believer, discussed how the upcoming movie strives to maintain the essence of the classic original, The Exorcist. Set to debut in theaters on October 13, this film is the sixth installment in the franchise that began with The Exorcist in 1973, based on the novel by William Peter Blatty. It centers around two young girls who display signs of possession after a prolonged disappearance, leading one of their fathers (Leslie Odom Jr.) to seek assistance from the original character Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn).

During a recent interview with Empire, conducted two months before the release of Believer, Green drew a parallel between his new Exorcist project and his Halloween sequel trilogy. He described the slasher genre as a "sandbox" for experimentation, while emphasizing that Believer has a more scholarly and researched approach. His intention is to honor the original film's narrative authenticity without simply imitating the subsequent rise of possession-focused subgenres. Find Green's complete statement below.

The Halloween movies fall under the slasher genre, providing a platform for playful and perhaps campy enjoyment. However, this particular film embraced a more researched and slightly academic approach. The storytelling and character dynamics were crafted to have a more dramatic impact. It signifies a notable departure from the usual style.

Although we are discussing the horror genre, my primary intention was to uphold the dramatic integrity rather than conforming to the developments influenced by the original film. Yet, this proves to be an impossible task. One cannot ignore the numerous derivative imitations of The Exorcist that have emerged over time. The concept itself has evolved, hence creating a slow-burning, gripping, thought-provoking, and horrifying film that resonates with today's audience differs greatly from what it was half a century ago.

The Exorcist Movies Stand Out in a Sea of Imitators

Following the success of the original film The Exorcist in the mid-1970s, numerous other studios quickly produced their own possession movies in order to capitalize on its popularity. In 1974 alone, movies like Abby, The Antichrist, Seytan, and Beyond the Door were released, contributing to the establishment of tropes within the genre that have continued to evolve over the years.

In recent years, there have still been numerous possession movies released, adding to the list of Exorcist imitators. Some examples include 2011's The Rite, 2018's The Possession of Hannah Grace, 2023's The Pope's Exorcist, 2022's Prey for the Devil, 2012's The Devil Inside, and 2010's The Last Exorcism. The latter two films cleverly integrated the subgenre with the popular found footage format. Nevertheless, despite the influx of similar movies, the Exorcist sequels have consistently strived to explore profound themes of faith and human suffering, with varying degrees of critical acclaim.

The Exorcist: Believer faces high expectations due to its iconic name. Furthermore, the inclusion of Ellen Burstyn reprising her original role for the first time adds more pressure on the film to deliver a profound experience. Fortunately, based on Green's remarks, it appears that he has approached the task of continuing the franchise with earnestness and careful consideration.