Since his wife’s death, Victor has raised his daughter Angela alone. After Angela and her friend return from a three-day disappearance with missing memories, they begin displaying frightening behavior. Victor’s best hope is to find the only person who has seen anything like this before: Chris MacNeil, whose haunting experience with her daughter Regan may be the key to combating ultimate evil. – synopsis via Universal Studios
THE EXORCIST: BELIEVER is directed by David Gordon Green. He has directed the latest HALLOWEEN Trilogy as well as PINEAPPLE EXPRESS. I’m not always big on commenting on the plot because I like people to form their own opinions about the amount of enjoyment a movie gives.
The movie had a lot of potential but drawing a connection to The MacNeil family was a real stretch. Things were building nicely and headed in a solid direction and then there was a moment that just felt forced.
Cast
Leslie Odom Jr. as Victor Fielding
Lidya Jewett as Angela Fielding
Olivia O’Neill as Katherine West
Jennifer Nettles as Miranda West
Norbert Leo Butz as Tony West
Raphael Sbarge as Pastor Don Revans
Okwui Okpokwasili as Dr. Beehibe
Danny McCarthy as Stuart
E. J. Bonilla as Father Maddox
Linda Blair as Regan MacNeil
Ann Dowd as Ann
Ellen Burstyn as Chris MacNeil
VIDEO RESOLUTION
The video is a 2160p HEVC presentation that includes HDR10. It was captured digitally and the clean video shows that. The Images are sharp with loads of detail. Things like dry skin, bad wounds, and ratty clothes are visible. The black levels are inky with dark shadows. The coloring is tame except for blood and some of the lighting towards the end of the movie. Even the opening in Haiti has bold coloring in some of the fabrics but with a filter to make the footage look older. Skin tones are warm and natural.
AUDIO MIX
The audio is a Dolby Atmos mix. This is a bit different from what Universal tends to offer where they typically use dts:X. That being said, there are no issues I could find in the track. The overhead channels deliver atmosphere to level up the horror. It is also notable in the opening scene with the building crumbling around the character. LFEs hit nicely and have a little punch in the subwoofer. Voices of the normal people sound clear and balanced.
RELEASE DETAILS
-Audio Commentary: with co-writer/director David Gordon Green, executive producer Ryan Turek, co-writer Peter Sattler, and special makeup FX designer Christopher Nelson.
-Making a Believer: This looks at the people involved in making the movie.
-Ellen and Linda: Reunited: THE EXORCIST: BELIEVER: This looks at the two original cat members seeing each other again on set.
-Stages of Possession: Lidya Jewett, Olivia O’Neill, and special makeup FX designer Christopher Nelson discuss the changes for the characters in the possession stage.
-The Opening: Lead Leslie Odom, Jr. and the filmmakers discuss how the opening of the movie affects the rest of it.
-Editing and Exorcism: THE EXORCIST: BELIEVER: Director David Gordon Green and editor Tim Alverson discuss the characters in the movie.
-Matters of Faith: This has theology experts who made sure the ceremonies were accurate.
Disc Details
2 Disc Set w/ 1 4k UHD and 1 Blu-ray
Slipcover included with initial release
Running Time
111 mins
Edition Ratings
Rated R
Region Coding
Region Free
4k UHD
Video Resolution
2160p HEVC
HDR: HDR10
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Audio Mixes
English Dolby Atmos
Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1
French Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
Subtitles
English SDH
Spanish
French
Blu-ray
Video Resolution
1080p AVC MPEG-4
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Audio Mixes
English Dolby Atmos
DVS 2.0
Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1
French Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
Subtitles
English SDH
Spanish
French
THE WRAP UP
THE EXORCIST film series has been hit or miss and I do appreciate the need to try something new. That being said, there are a few things here that don’t work well such as the call backs to the original film and, again, The McNeil connection. Things that do work are the setup in the opening and some of the scenes surrounding the exorcism. The video is gorgeous and the audio makes sure the sound design is not overlooked. There are a good amount of extras included and the slipcover is nice. For the set completionists or open-minded horror fans, pick this one up.
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