This controversial release is very well done with a bevy of extras but the biggest hurdle will be getting over the bad word of mouth.
While Universal and Blumhouse were clearly hoping to replicate the success of their Halloween series, things got off to a rocky start with The Exorcist: Believer. The film released to a measly 22% on Rotten Tomatoes and was widely derided (check out our review HERE). With its recent release on Peacock, Universal is now readying for the physical media release and probably looking for a silver lining. Heck, there are still supposed to be two more of these movies. So let’s find out if the The Exorcist: Believer Blu-ray is worth a purchase.
THE MOVIE: The Exorcist: Believer may have just been the most disliked horror movie of the year. Much like last year’s Halloween Ends, this movie has been put through the ringer. And while I certainly think there’s an element of truth to it having some bad elements, I wouldn’t call the overall film bad. The biggest issue is that this same story, without the Exorcist name or connections, isn’t awful. In fact, I quite enjoyed all the Haiti stuff and how it affects the man’s relationship with his daughter. Then the dilemma that each family goes to when it comes to saving their own daughter, makes for some great tension. So while it is very easy to say that this is a bad Exorcist movie, I still struggle calling it a downright terrible film.
Leslie Odom Jr. is a fantastic actor and he’s able to convey a lot without saying much. And unlike DGG’s Halloween trilogy, there isn’t out-of-place humor (though this line is hilarious). One of the more intriguing aspects of the film is the fact that the demon introduced here is actually Lamashtu. If you remember, Pazuzu was the original demon and anyone who knows their demon lore knows that these two do not get along (and no, I didn’t know anything about this until reading up on it). So I’m very curious to see where they take this story, as it is very open-ended. Still, it does have Exorcist in the title, and Ellen Burstyn being the worst part is something I’m not sure I’ll ever forgive. So it’s hard to recommend this one but for those that do, I recommend people go into this with a more open mind because there is still stuff to like.
TECHNICAL DETAILS: Universal released the film on 4K, Blu-Ray, DVD, and Digital but we’re specifically looking at the standard 4K Blu-Ray. A one-disc 4K UHD + one-disc Blu-Ray + Digital Code, the film is pressed on a BD-100 disc. This comes in a standard black case. The slipcover features identical artwork. Best Buy is releasing a pretty snazzy Steelbook, but don’t get used to it.
UHD HDR10/Dolby Vision | 1080p High-Definition | Widescreen | English Dolby Atmos, Espanol/Francais Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 | DVS 2.0 | English Dolby Digital 2.0 | Subtitles: English SDH, Espanol, Francais
The 4K transfer itself is perfectly fine. There were times when I felt the highlights were more muted than I’d like. But the overall picture is crisp, and for a movie that spends a lot of its time in the dark, the image still manages to pop. Colors stay true and since this is a new release, there’s no weird Halo effect or noticeable DNR.
SPECIALS: Can we just take a moment to appreciate the fact that 4K’s actually have special features on them now? I remember the early days when they were so bare bones, they wouldn’t even feature commentary tracks. But that has thankfully changed, with this release highlighting how much those BD-100’s can handle. We’ve got 6 specials in total, as well as a full-length commentary track.
MAKING A BELIEVER – This is your standard Behind the Scenes special. It’s not very long and seems mostly there to establish how close the cast and crew got during filming.
ELLEN AND LINDA: REUNITED – It’s wonderful to see some behind the scenes of Ellen and Linda’s reunion. It’s all the more shocking to learn that they hadn’t met before the moment was filmed. No morning greetings or anything. And they were kind enough to feature the entire scene uncut here, so we really get to experience it all.
STAGES OF POSSESSION – This was an interesting look at how the girls and their various stages of possession are represented. David Gordon Green fondly called the stages: Naughty, Nasty and Gnarly. Chris Nelson also gives a great look at the demon Lamashtu, who we only see in flashes in the film, but get a much more up close and personal look here.
THE OPENING – A closer look at the opening scene in Haiti, this really dives into the filming process and its importance to the rest of the film. I really enjoyed the section that went into the sound design and how they tried to replicate tricks from the original film.
EDITING AN EXORCISM – It’s no surprise to find out that it took them three weeks to film the third act exorcism. This features cast insight as well, but it’s really the editor who provides the most interesting information. Maybe it’s just because I’m a video editor myself but this was my favorite of the specials and wish it was longer.
MATTERS OF FAITH – Getting into the more religious aspects, it’s interesting to see the pains the filmmakers went to in order to properly represent them respectfully. Features insight from the various religious advisors, as well as the cast and crew.
FEATURE COMMENTARY – Co-writer/director David Gordon Green, executive producer Ryan Turek, co-writer Peter Sattler, and special make FX designer Christopher Nelson all take place in the commentary track. It’s very informative and Turek does a good job of leading things, keeping talk firmly on the production. This really gives you an overall idea of how the production went, and puts a spotlight on moments that were likely missed by most.
VERDICT: This one comes down to how much you like the Exorcist franchise. I didn’t find it to be the abomination that many made it out to be, but I’m also a big fan of possession stories. I think this movie will (and is already starting to) develop an audience. Especially if they’re able to really hone in on what works, and get rid of what doesn’t in the sequel.
There is a lot here if you’re a fan of the filmmaking process, with the commentary providing a ton of useful insight. The specials are much more in-depth than any of the ones we got on the Halloween Blu-Rays, so it seems more care is being taken this time around to give the fans more of a look at the production. And I always wanted to note that the rating is for the physical release and all that it entails, not simply the film itself.
ONLY FOR FANS
7