 What's going on guys welcome back to the channel critical overload here So this will be a spoiler preview for the exorcist believer This is directed by David Gordon Green who co-wrote the screenplay alongside Peter Sattler It is starring Leslie Odom do Leslie Odom Jr. and down Jennifer Nettles Norbert Butts Lydia Jewette Olivia Markham and Ellen Burstin who we know is returning as Chris McNeil Since the death of his wife 12 years ago Victor Fielding has raised their daughter Angela on his own But when Angela and her friend Catherine disappear in the woods only to return three days later with no memory of what happened to them It unleashes a chain of events that will force Victor to confront the nadir of evil and in his terror and desperation Seek out the only person alive who has witnessed anything like it before Chris McNeil Now the exorcist believer is easily the most mixed bag horror film. I have seen this year I went in with very low expectations and if you've been following my videos You know what I was expecting going into this movie and while I do not like this movie It's not a train wreck the exorcist believer is able to stay afloat Thanks to its strong performances the very enticing first act surprising use of what I believe were practical effects which were well done and Glimmers of a strong character drama that at least got me invested in half of its story on the other hand The exorcist believer holds itself back. Thanks to humor that never lands Undercooked characters who you couldn't care less about tacky jump scares and a third act that comes off more comical than dramatic Also be prepared to endure one of the worst monologues you've ever heard from Chris McNeil But I'll get back to her the exposition dumping on apparent events also doesn't help when the film is already lacking in subtlety It's themes about unity and community or some of this screenplays weakest aspects Since it's coming off more preachy than anything and again when you're beating your audience over the head with a message and you're not being very subtle with it that gets tired very fast and While it doesn't truly create a terrifying atmosphere from start to finish I do have to commend that highly effective opening sequence that sucks you into the drama for the fieldings and Their journey throughout the story as the film progresses though even the drama begins to drag and fizzle out So our central characters the fieldings aka Angela and Victor are the set of characters You will find yourself mostly invested in as I did and that's because believer takes his time showcasing an unbreakable bond Between these two before the devil's work intervenes this development only enhances a tragic revelation later on Thanks to the prior interactions between this highly compelling dark father and daughter pairing It's a relatable dynamic that I could latch on to right away Victor is an atheist who has turned his back on the faith He was raised on due to his feelings of God turning their back on him Angela's friend though Catherine and her family are very religious They are certain demons have taken over these girls and after Catherine goes missing her parents Aren't showcased in the best light. I'm gonna be honest there But we also do not learn enough about this family for me to invest in them or Catherine It's an issue because their daughter Catherine is at the center of it all with Angela who already has my support And there's a friendship that exists between the two girls That's barely explored outside of them being seen laughing together and wandering off into the woods So the ball has been dropped on this friendship Only one half of the friendship is worth investing in and two-thirds of the parents involved are not very compelling either These are just some of the writing mishaps that exist in believe it just some other issues for the screenplay come in the form of an Overcrowded roster of characters and doubts character who was a nurse and the fieldings next door neighbor starts off as what would Be presumed to be a Karen type but quickly becomes someone I couldn't help but fall in love with and feel sympathetic towards still her and other characters Tossed in that make up this inexperienced group of folks here to save the day are mostly dead weight When they are on screen together. You'll see what I'm talking about when you see the movie The priest is completely useless, but you know who the story wants you to think is useful Chris McNeil a woman who makes it known that despite 50 years of become of becoming an expert She still hasn't exactly performed an exorcism. This is stated multiple times in this film And yet believer doesn't hesitate to render her inclusion useless and Disrespectful and a waste of time I would say her decisions as this quote-unquote expert and someone who has witnessed this first hand Are laughable at best and as a viewer your duty as the film that I'm watching is to sell me on this angle And Chris's angle is hard to find believable when she's propped up as someone who has extensive knowledge and Victor goals to her for help. So you think that that mystique of an expert that they're setting up would be respected But it's not the screenplay knows its own makeshift group of saviors and Chris McNeil are useless together Because none of them make a difference when it matters most Jump scares jump scares jump scares who wants to jump scare take your pick not when they aren't earned I will say that the scares in this film are terrible at times. There are some effective jump scares again I will give them credit where credit is due But there's absolutely zero tension that lingers throughout to keep the atmosphere unnerving despite all of that What is accomplished with the fieldings is strong enough and there's a fantastic payoff that makes the opening more impactful as well And a nice little loop around related to that family Green and settler do have ingredients of that original film sprinkled throughout But it wasn't cooked very well enough and this film can hardly stand on its own Anyway, even if you haven't seen that first movie I did find the color palette of the film to be great and reminiscent of Green's Halloween trilogy, of course So the cinematography isn't awful and there are a couple shots where the objects come in and out of the frame We kind of just linger on it and it's becoming like a tracking shot in ways that I really enjoyed pacing wise This was hot and cold Sometimes it was enticing specifically that first first act and brief moments of its third act Which does get a little bonkers and a little crazy honestly again It got more comical than it was trying to be it really did are sometimes Angela and Catherine They came off like a pair of gremlins just chilling out in the bar together that I don't think that's what they were trying to go for so The two girls though Lydia and Olivia who bring Angela and Catherine to life They are fantastic. No doubt about that for the most part these two are fantastic They help retain any ounce of terror that otherwise is absence thanks to their performances That switch from innocent to devil spawns is highly impeccable Ellen Burston while wasted did a fine job But she also is responsible for again one of the worst monologues this year and it's not entirely her fault since she didn't write this Leslie Odom, Jr. He's excelling it playing a man who has turned his back on God and the other group of parents are good too and Dowd another standout she did a phenomenal job in her role again her character is someone someone who outside of the Fieldings I can see a lot of people like myself Latching on to her and feeling for her character the material that she's given to work with is captured wonderfully And it gets very emotional thanks to and doubts credit incredible performance The score I would say was good the rendition of tubular bells that are present here. I thought was nice The overall film itself again mixed bag guys I would say it's a mixed bag if I were rating this on a scale of one to ten and this is as someone who again did not like This movie. I'm just trying to be fair with it here. I would give this film a six out of ten I'm being very honest. It's a subpar movie. That's not a complete train wreck Like the screenplay actually might make it if you're just watching that but the components of it all Elevated in a way that keep it afloat. It's a competent enough made movie And I think a lot of you will enjoy when you see it later this week I'm gonna give it a six out of ten Let me know what you think about this down the comment section below if you have already course make sure you subscribe turn on post notification There's a video in the description. I have links to my social media accounts I'm a Facebook tour in Instagram. You can message me there Of course, there's any movies and reviews I'm gonna cover in the future and with all that in mind guys I will see you in the next video