The Exorcist: Believer is a direct sequel to the original movie, which was largely taken from the 1973 classic.
However, there are some key differences between the two films.
In an attempt to start a new Exorcist trilogy like he did with the Halloween series, David Gordon Green directed and co-wrote The Exorcist: Believer as a way to reintroduce moviegoers to the wicked thrills of this iconic franchise.
The movie brings back the venerable stars of the original film, Ellen Burstyn and Linda Blair, reprising their roles in the new tale of demonic possession.
Despite following a similar narrative of a single parent's desperate struggle to save their demon-possessed daughter, The Exorcist: Believer stands as a very different movie from its predecessor.
While The Exorcist stands as a pillar of horror movies, The Exorcist: Believer uses it as a foundation to tell a new story within this familiar universe.
From the number of girls possessed by demons, to the identity of the demons themselves, even the relationship between Chris and Regan MacNeil, there are many significant differences between The Exorcist and The Exorcist: Believer.
Two Possessed Girls in The Exorcist: Believer
While there was only one possessed girl in the original Exorcist movie, The Exorcist: Believer takes the bold step of featuring two simultaneously possessed girls, Angela and Katherine.
This double possession adds a new dimension to the demonic narrative. The characters in The Exorcist: Believer are faced with the "Sophie's Choice" dilemma, where they are forced to choose one child to survive and the other to be dragged to Hell.
At the end of The Exorcist, Regan is saved through Father Karras' sacrifice, but in The Exorcist: Believer, it is a bittersweet ending for Angela's father; Katherine is taken to Hell.
Different Demons in The Exorcist and The Exorcist: Believer
The demon that possesses the girls in The Exorcist: Believer is not the same demon that possessed Regan MacNeil in the original movie.
Regan was possessed by the evil Pazuzu; Angela and Katherine were possessed by a new demon named Lamashtu.
Lamashtu could even be considered more dangerous than Pazuzu.
While Pazuzu is an ordinary demon that possesses anyone within its reach, Lamashtu preys on mothers during childbirth and possesses their babies, thus permanently damaging the parent-child relationship.
This evil modus operandi ties into the franchise's theme of the role of parents and how far they will go to protect their children.
Chris MacNeil opens up about his daughter in The Exorcist: Believer
Chris MacNeil is much more comfortable publicizing his daughter's ownership in The Exorcist: Believer.
Throughout the original Exorcist movie, Chris insisted on hiding Regan's belongings so that they wouldn't be hounded by the paparazzi, and his daughter didn't become famous for the most horrific part of her life.
He also wanted to keep it a secret because Regan didn't remember having it, and Chris didn't want her to know what happened.
However, in The Exorcist: Believer, Chris has shared the story with the world in a best-selling memoir, making him the face of exorcism.
The Exorcist: Believer Focuses on Widowed Fathers, Not Single Mothers
Both The Exorcist and The Exorcist: Believer tell the story of a single parent battling a demon possessing their daughter.
But the protagonist is a single mom in the original Exorcist. Chris is a working mom raising Regan with the help of a nanny.
Regan's father is still in the picture, notoriously difficult to contact (he didn't even think to call his daughter on her birthday).
Protagonist of The Exorcist: Believer - Victor Fielding, played by Leslie Odom, Jr. - is a widower who lost his wife to the Haiti earthquake while she was giving birth to their daughter Angela.
The Exorcist: Believer is a More Conventional Horror Movie Than The Exorcist
One of the biggest differences between The Exorcist: Believer and its predecessor - and one of the main criticisms levied against the old sequel with the most negative reviews - is that the new movie is more of a conventional horror movie than The Exorcist.
William Friedkin didn't make The Exorcist a horror movie; he made it a straightforward theological drama about a priest who questions his faith.
Friedkin doesn't play up the demonic terror in his direction of The Exorcist.
He plays the story straight, takes his characters seriously as humans in extraordinary circumstances, and lets the terror speak for itself.
The Exorcist: Believer, on the other hand, uses all the tropes and clichés in the proprietary movie playbook.
All the cheap thrills and scares that many Exorcist knockoffs rely on are on full display in The Exorcist: Believer.
In its attempt to surpass the original version, The Exorcist: Believer incorporates as many demonic scares as possible.
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