When it comes to horror, many movies have come along to shape the genre. However perhaps no film has had an impact or accolades than that of The Exorcist. The film based on the 1971 novel by William Peter Valley was released in 1973, and despite a rocky start the adaptation would become a cultural phenomenon. Not only did The Exorcist help pioneer an entire genre, but it was beneficial in changing the MPAA’s rating system-and that is just some of the movie’s achievements. Throughout the years, there have been attempts to revive the chilling tale, but despite becoming a series the movies that carry The Exorcist name have not been able to recapture the success of the 1973 film. Yet despite the missteps, studios continue to bring the series back to life, and this case the latest take comes from none other than Blumhouse Productions. After Morgan Creek Entertainment got the blessing from the original creators, the company joined Blumhouse to develop a new Exorcist film; and as the horror classic celebrates its 50th anniversary the newest chapter for the series begins in the sequel known as The Exorcist: Believer.

The movie centers on a widowed father (Leslie Odom Jr.) who seeks the help of Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn) after he discovers that his daughter Angela (Lidya Jewett) and friend Katherine (Olivia Marcum) are possessed by a demonic spirit. As soon as the movie got the greenlight, the studios sought filmmaker David Gordon Green, director of Blumhouse’s Halloween trilogy, to take up this new continuation-and sure enough Green would accept the position. Along with Green’s involvement, it was announced that this new movie would be the first of a new trilogy with the next film, The Exorcist: Deceiver, slated to hit theaters in 2025. Between setting up a new trilogy and, of course, living up to the original there was a lot riding on this new Exorcist film. While living up to its legacy would be no easy feat, I was curious to see what was in store in this new sequel; and from what I saw it was more of the same for The Exorcist: Believer.

Going into this one, I felt that simply comparing Exorcist: Believer to the 1973 film would be a waste of critical thinking. However, the way this sequel played out, ignoring the comparisons was easier said than done. Believer’s plot follows the formula established by its predecessor; and while this could be seen as paying homage to the horror classic it felt more like a detriment for the new film. Following the Exorcist formula left this story with few surprises, and it added little to the series’ overall plot. Yet there was one beneficial element that this plot took away from its predecessor and that was its thematic narrative. Themes such as belief gave the story an investing aspect that not only worked for the horror movie, but felt like a proper direction to connect this new film to its legacy.

In the case of the cast, The Exorcist: Believer featured a decent ensemble. Leslie Odom Jr. was impressive in his role as Vincent. The character’s direction felt like a combination of both Chris and Father Damien from the first film, and this development was appropriate for Vincent oppose to being just formulaic. Along with Damien were Miranda (Jennifer Nettles) and Tony (Norbert Leo Butz): the parents of Katherine. Both actors were decent in their roles, but I felt like the characters needed more time to flesh out their progression and it felt like the film was hinting at more drama surrounding the family-but it never came to past. As for the possessed children, both Lidya Jewett and Olivia Marcum were good as Angela and Katherine. While they may not have had the presence of Linda Blair, both actresses did solid job in capturing the anguish of being possessed with Marcum being particularly impressive in thus area. As for supporting characters, the nurse Ann (Ann Dowd) stood out as she captured the belief theme in an interesting manner. As for Ellen Burstyn, she was fair in her return as Chris MacNeil. To my surprise, Chris’ role in the movie was not as prominent as I came to believe, but Burstyn made every moment count and cemented the quality behind this standard but impressive cast.

With The Exorcist being considered one of the scariest films ever made, there was much riding on its sequel’s sense of horror; but the result was not the chilling experience that I could have hoped for. While there were tense moments, the film’s atmosphere was rather tame as it relied too heavily on creepy imagery to be frightening. The movie also implemented a bleak cinematography that, while understandable, was reminiscent of the looks captured by many horror films seen today. Along with the creepy imagery and bleak look, the movie also featured a score that was hit and miss. The music by David Wingo and Amman Abasi could be thrilling and, in some ways, it was solid companion to the soundtrack crafted by Jack Nitzsche. However, the music’s impression was fair to say the least, and it did little to enhance the atmosphere surrounding this horror sequel.

As sequels go, The Exorcist: Believer was a standard continuation to be sure. Between its formulaic storytelling and tame atmosphere, the new horror film left a minimal impression; and it felt as though it was too adherent to the 1973 classic. Yet this is not to say everything about this movie was dreadful. The story’s themes were captivating and the performances from the cast were commendable, and these were proper aspects to pay tribute to its predecessor. With this being the first chapter in a new trilogy, I can say Believer is not the greatest start nor is it a chilling experience; but I do believe there is still potential for the continuation and perhaps this tame horror sequel could be the start of something special.